Finals Week

            For my first semester of college I was really worried about finals but they actually were not all that bad. The key to getting a good grade on your final is to study as much as you can. Study groups are a great way to study because they allow you to get more engaged and ask your peers questions about the subject so you can actually learn more as you go. You also need to make sure you give yourself time to relax and have fun so you aren’t too stressed out. If you’re too nervous when you take a test, chances are you’ll second guess your answers and not do so hot on your final.

            Luckily, there were four other people on my floor in my psychology course so we were able to all study together. We were allowed to make a cheat sheet to use on the test even. If you don’t know what this is, it is basically a piece of paper or notecard that you are allowed to write any notes on and you can use it on the test. Our cheat sheet was allowed to be an entire piece of printer paper front and back so that was amazing but it took forever to actually write everything we wanted on it.

            Our final was on Monday so we decided to really start studying at least on Friday. We studied for a few hours on Friday then Saturday we gave ourselves a little more of a break. We studied for a little while in the morning but enjoyed the rest of our Saturday. (This is the Saturday where all of the craziness occurred in that previous post). Sunday, we were a little too crazy with our studying. We studied as a big study group in the morning then just a few of us kept studying after lunch until well past dinner. It was crazy! Studying for that many hours straight isn’t always a good idea but sometimes it is worth it.

            Monday was the big day. Luckily, our final wasn’t until 7:30pm because we hadn’t started our cheat sheets yet. We each had a different strategy on how we organized our sheet and what would go on it. I decided to write down all of the terms we learned in every chapter and label the title of each section what the chapter was about. We all had to write extra small because, even though it was an entire piece of paper, we had tons of pages of notes to fit on it. It took us about 7hrs to actually get everything together but it was worth it. My cheat sheet gave me basically every answer I needed on the test and making it actually helped me get the information stuck in my head.

            I would suggest making a cheat sheet, not quite that extravagant though, for any of your finals. You won’t be able to actually use it but writing it helps you remember things better so anything you don’t know will be better retained if you write it down. We were all super stressed out about the final but you just have to keep imaging how you’ll feel once it’s all over and you can relax. The final wasn’t even that bad in reality so there’s no need to get crazy nervous or anything. Be confident in yourself and you should do just fine.

            Two of my finals were essay-type finals so I didn’t have to actually go to a classroom to take a final and they were not too difficult to accomplish. One of them I was totally dreading because I have to use all these books and online resources along with having to think and write abstractly. I finished it and I feel so much better now. If you have a final like this, finish it as early as possibly so that you can just relax and have nothing to worry about except for the finals that you actually need to study and go to.

            My last final was for Spanish. I wasn’t too worried about it so I didn’t spend nearly as much time studying for it as I did for the Psychology final. I made sure to look over my notes, past tests, homework assignments, and even to look up some of the sentences I would possibly want to write on the test so that I would know how to write it all. I am very glad I took the time to do so because I was very ready for the final and I feel like I did a pretty great job. As long as you make sure you put in time to study for your finals and stay focused on the tasks at hand, you should do just fine. Make sure you take some breaks though so you don’t get sleep deprived or exert yourself too much. It’s okay to take some time to relax. College is basically all about time management so once you get that down, you’ll be set!

Casey the College Celiac: 22 Instant Happiness Fixes For the Holidays

Casey the College Celiac: 22 Instant Happiness Fixes For the Holidays: Even though the smell of Christmas cookies and the echoes of joyful caroling may fill the air, the holidays aren't always packed with...

Crazy Saturday Night

This Saturday started off pretty normal. I spent most of it hanging out with some friends and just laughing about random stuff as usual. We decided to go to Panera for dinner since nothing at our dining hall sounded very good. The first thing that happened was some weirdo honked his horn at me because I was adjusting my crooked parking. I had the right of way because I was already backing out by the time he was even in the parking lot but whatever. We just laughed at his crazy beard. The craziness had begun…

We went inside Panera and while we were waiting in line, Weirdo and his gang of oldies came in standing right behind us in line. Not too weird until they actually came and sat at the table right next to us once we got our food. What in the world? There were so many other tables available but they chose to sit by us. One of my friends decided to slowly move the table away because one of the guys kept running into her with his cane when he would walk by.

            Once we were done we went back to the dorms where we just hung out for a little bit laughing about everything, as usual. Another girl from our floor came to the room to see if we wanted Dairy Queen since she was going. We told her that would be great so she brought us back some blasts. They were delicious. After that, we got hungry again for some reason and decided to use my cuisine cash to order Dominos since I had a ton left still. We ordered it online and decided to pick it up in the store instead of having it delivered since we were going to drive some of our other friends to a party soon anyway.

            We drive the girls to a party then start heading to Dominos when they call us and ask us to pick them up because the party was lame. Once they get back in the car they ask us to take them to another party that seems like it’ll be more fun. After we dropped them off, again, we finally get the pizza and started heading back to the dorm when they call us again. I guess that party was boring too so they wanted us to pick them up and just take them back to the dorms. We were almost to our dorm so my friend just dropped me off with the pizza and I went back to the room. When I got back I noticed that the parmesan cheese I had in my hand was gone so I went back to look for it and it was on the stairs. I completely dropped all the packets of the parmesan cheese! Anyway, they all finally get back from the party and everything and we enjoy our pizza.

            Out of nowhere, one of my friends says she should go take a shower and my other friends said we should all just take a shower together. Not all in the same shower, of course. There’s three showers in the community bathroom so it was perfect for all of us to take one at the same time. It was hilarious from one of them farting to me almost falling. We definitely had a bonding experience that night. After the shower we were reflecting on the night and started laughing so hard because we had eaten so much in just a few hours. Like what in the world were we doing that night? That was just crazy. College is a time for crazy nights like these where you just let loose and enjoy yourself. Don’t have too many of these nights, though, because that is how the Freshman 15 will happen. 

Uh Oh! Double Trouble

 Partying is something that occurs a lot during college and it can definitely be fun but you need to be careful. Even as a designated driver, you need to make sure that you are always paying attention and being responsible. As a designated driver you feel responsible for the people you are driving home but try not to get too caught up in all of the craziness that you forget to do something important like turning off your car. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way so take my advice in case you find yourself in my position one day. Even if you lock yourself out of your car for other reasons, this will be a helpful post for you.

It was around 1:00 a.m. when one of my friends can to my door to tell me that we needed to go pick up our friend and a bunch of other girls on our floor from a frat party. There was 7 of them so that was fun squeezing everyone in my little car. I brought a huge trash bag just in case someone got sick but no one did, thank goodness. I was so worried about one of them falling or something because they were all wasted that I completely forgot to turn off my car. I have no idea how that even could slip my mind but it did.

After everyone got out and the last door needed to be closed my car dinged at me that the door was open but I didn’t even think about it. I just thought, “Oh yeah, it’s just yelling at me because the door is open” not that the car is on and the door is open. My car wouldn’t make a noise unless it was on plus my engine is very loud so I have no clue how I didn’t hear it. I was just too worried about my friends I guess. I was definitely overreacting because everything would have been fine if I had just taken an extra minute to make sure my car was off before I locked it.

After I got them all back to their rooms and in bed, I noticed that I didn’t have my key when I went to go into my room. I figured I just locked them in the car so I could just go to the front desk and have them unlock the door to my room then worry about my key in the morning. I was afraid I might have dropped my keys though so I retraced my steps back to my car but that was when I noticed my car was on since I could hear my engine. I started freaking out and called the friend who had come to get me earlier. She came out there with me and we tried to brainstorm how to get my keys out of my car. I was extremely worried since I have an old car and it has been known to overheat and if it did overheat I wouldn’t be able to turn it off or anything. My mom has an extra key to my car but I didn’t want to call her that late at night.

I went back inside to see if anyone knew how to unlock a car door and the guy at the front desk knew how to but he wasn’t allowed to come out to help me since he was working. I looked up ways to do it but they all consisted of wire hangers or other things that we didn’t have. I have free AAA car service so I called them and someone was supposed there in about an hour. They seriously take way too long so I told her I need them as soon as possible since the car was RUNNING! About 30 minutes later I still did not receive a text or phone call saying that someone was on their way so I called back to see what was going on.

All the lady did was try to assure me that he would be on his way. At this point I was hysterical and I just wanted someone to get there already because they always take forever and I was way too worried about my car to be dealing with their horrible service. It didn’t help that the lady I had been talking to was an idiot and I was stressed. It made my mom’s crazy side of me come out. It was also freezing out and the friend who was staying out there with me is from Texas so she was extra cold since it didn’t even usually get that cold there.

Around 30 more minutes later so it has been an hour now, I call back and I am very upset. I get a different lady for once who was actually really sweet and she tries to help me as much as she can. She even got a manager or something on the line to help. All he did was say that the guy is going to be on the way even though I still had yet to receive any kind of notification from him that he was on the way like I usually do. I was reaching my breaking point. AAA has left me stranded in the middle of nowhere at 1 in the morning before so I was not having it this time where my car was overheating, the engine was probably getting messed up, my new battery draining, and a whole bunch of other issues that could have been going on.

I can’t ever cry in front of anyone but that night I was a mess. That friend, Brittany, is definitely someone who I cherish to this day. She could have gone inside and left me to deal with it on my own but she stuck through it with me. We even did some prayers and other craziness because I was just going psycho. I was pacing and practically having a panic attack. I told her that if they didn’t come in 15 more minutes that I would need to call my mom. When that time came I decided to call AAA once again just to check.

I got that lady and guy again. At this point I was beyond mad because this was just completely ridiculous. If I had been in the middle of nowhere, stranded alone then who knows what would have happened to me. The guy I guess finally, ACTUALLY checked on the person who was supposed to unlock my car and noticed that he never freaking responded to the call in the first place. Well that explained why I never got a text/call and he never came. Those idiots never actually made sure he was on the way so I was so annoyed. I am usually the politest person ever, even if someone were to accidently push me down the stairs and spill hot coffee on me. Unfortunately, my mom’s mean side was already out and I was no nice girl anymore. Although AAA is free for me, it is only free for a certain amount calls and miles. I demanded that they sent someone in the next few minutes and that it would not count as one of my calls or anything because that was just ridiculous.

They ended up sending someone who wasn’t even one of their employees because I needed my car unlocked as soon as possible. I guess they called some company closer to Lawrence to come unlock my car. That guy actually got there in barely 30 minutes and got my car unlocked in around 5 minutes. He started writing things down and said he was writing up a ticket so I asked how much I owed him. He told me I don’t owe anything but AAA does because they definitely dropped the ball on this one. Serves them right. They always have something going on that makes them take hours.

To avoid going crazy and spending hours out in the cold, just focus on what you’re doing so you don’t make a ridiculous mistake like leaving your keys locked in your car with your car running. It definitely makes for a great story but it would have been nice if I didn’t have to go through all of that trouble. Even when you don’t go out and party, you might do something stupid that a drunk person might do. Opps! 

Homework and Tests

Before I came to college I had a very different perspective on homework and tests than I do now. I would hear about how crazy college was with the amount of homework and that it would be super difficult. I thought I would be drowning in assignments and having a ton of tests all of the time. My first semester could not have been any further from the truth. I feel like college has been fairly easy so far for me. I do have to study more for tests now but other than that I feel as though I am doing just fine.

In high school I was a straight-A student in honors and AP classes but I rarely studied for tests but I had so much homework that I was always stressed out and never had any free time. College has nothing but the opposite for me so far. Now I study way more often because and I don’t have nearly as many assignments as I did in high school so I have more free time. I’ve learned to adjust and I have a lot more free time because of it. I have friends who were total slackers in high school who are getting amazing grades in college so far so I think the key is to manage your time and not overthink things.

            I have noticed that some things I miss points on are things that I second-guessed myself on and thought the question was trying to trick me. AT ALL COSTS AVOID OVERTHINKING!! It can be hard to do since this is college and you might think that every question is going to be tricky on an exam so you have to think in an abstract way but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Majority of the time, the test is just there to make sure you’re learning what you need to and make sure you’re understanding the material. If you aren’t quite getting something, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

            The professors and GTAs, (Graduate Teacher Assistants who will most likely be the teachers that you have for your freshman/general education classes), have office hours for a reason. They actually enjoy if you stop by and discuss the material or ask for help. It shows them that you really care about your education and your grades. TAs, tutors, and other students in your class are also very helpful when it comes to understanding things. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It actually is a really good thing to do and people commend you for doing it. You don’t look stupid for getting help, it is actually what makes you smarter than some people because you actually put more time into your education. In college, being a nerd or geek is actually a cool thing so don’t worry about looking like a dork. A lot of my classes have even started Group Me’s so that we can keep in touch and ask each other questions on assignments or make study groups for tests. Study groups are one of the great ways to help you get better grades on your tests.

Just try to make sure you are managing your time wisely. College is a time to experience the world while being on your own for the first time but it is also a place where you go to learn so you can get a good job someday. College is a lot of money so you don’t want to waste it for nothing. Going to class is also another important thing to do. Sometimes teachers will randomly give extra credit points on random days to students who show up. A lot of classes have participation points too so not showing up could cost you your grade tremendously. Your life will run a lot smoother if you just focus a few hours a day on your homework, studying, and especially going to class every day. I don’t miss a class unless I am very ill. Even when I burnt my foot and could barely walk, I came to class every day extra early as always. College is about dedication and commitment so work hard and it’ll pay off in the end.

Burnt Chipotle

          Here is a little story of what happened to me one night, totally unexpectedly just to show you that you need to be careful. Everyone gets hurt and college is a place where you might find yourself getting hurt more often but it can lead to some great stories to tell. My injury didn't happen in some totally crazy way like some people's but it was pretty ridiculous to say the least and it left me with about a week of going around my large campus limping with one shoe on one foot and a flip flop on the other. I also have a scar on my foot now from the burn so have fun but be careful!

            My day was going great. I actually woke up early to have brunch and have some fun with candy with a few friends. I got called into work, Chipotle, but that was still good because I was missing working more and I enjoy it so I was actually excited. I arrived at work around 4:45 p.m. and everyone was happy to see me because it had actually been a while since I worked last. Everyone was being nice, even the customers, and my night was just going really great as well. Unfortunately, all of this was just the calm before the storm.

            It was around 9:45 p.m. when everything went down. My night and the next few weeks would be ruined because of one small, silly accident. One of my co-workers began draining the water out of the hot side of the line that is scorching hot to keep the rice, beans, and meats warm throughout the day. She had starting draining it a lot earlier than usual so I forgot about it when a customer came. I moved over to the tortilla press to take the lady’s order. At that moment I knew, I messed up. When I moved I put my foot right under the area where the extremely hot water comes out into the drain.

            I pulled my foot away so fast but it hurt like crazy. When I looked back at what I had just done I laughed but it also made me feel like it was even more painful. The only analogy I can think of to describe what I saw was as if I had just poured noodles in a boiling pot of water and a ton of steam comes off of it. For me, my foot was the noodles and the boiling pot of water was the ridiculously hot water draining out from the heating station. I threw my shoe off so fast and held onto my foot trying to get the pain to go away. One of my coworkers helped the customer then got me some ice to put on my foot. She was also super sweet and got me some burn cream and Band-Aids as well. I was determined to keep working and help close because I felt too bad leaving early. The hard part was that anything touching my foot hurt horribly so actually putting my sock and shoe back on was very painful but I did it anyway. I limped around teary-eyed for a while helping put the foot away and clean until I just could not take it anymore.

            I went into the bathroom to take a better look at the burn and to put more burn cream on it. I could not get myself to put my shoe back on after that though. It just hurt way too bad. At this point I was crying because I did not know what to do and everything just hurt. Another key point in everything was the fact that my parents were not too happy with me going back to Olathe to work. They wanted me to stay on campus and have fun instead of worrying about work. This added a level of stress to the whole situation because I did not know whether I should call my mom and listen to the “I told you so” or deal with it on my own.

            Eventually, I went to the coworker who I was supposed to be helping clean the line and I told her I did not think I could keep working because it just hurt way too bad. She was really sympathetic and we went over to my manager to tell her that I should probably go home. She was understanding as well and allowed me to go home a little early. I limped out to my car with one shoe in my hand since I could not put it back on my foot. Once I got into my car, I dreadfully called my mom to see what I should do since I had never had such a bad burn before. She told me I should probably go to the emergency room but that I needed to file for workman’s comp first so all of the costs would be covered. That meant a whole lot more fun for me that night.

            The manager working that night did not really know what to do and her English is not the best so trying to figure out how to get a work comp claim was super complicated. Today, a few days since that night, I still am super confused on what all I need to do actually. She had me call the corporate office or whoever to file the claim which is technically not how it is supposed to be handled. An employee is not allowed to file their own injury so I had to give the phone to her but whisper everything back and forth because of communication barriers. It made the whole process even longer than the long time it usually takes regardless. After getting that phone called done with, the guy told us that they would call back on Monday to give the head manager the other information that is needed for actually getting everything payed for and all of that craziness. That mess is another story though.

            Once I finally got back to my car, I called my mom back to let her know how the phone call went and she told me she wanted me to come home so she could see how bad my foot was burned. I drove home, very carefully considering the foot I burned was my right foot so I was basically driving with my left. My mom checked my foot and said I needed to go to the emergency room because it was worse than she thought it would be. She was unable to take me because she had just taken her tremendously strong pain medicine for her chronic nerve damage so that meant I had to drive all the way to the emergency room with my left foot. I hated the fact that I had to walk into the emergency room without a shoe on one of my feet since you never know what could be on those floors or in the parking lot.

            I walked in looking like some bootleg version of Cinderella with my one shoe on and one shoe off but I, surprisingly, did not have to wait too long to get taken care of. It was actually a really fast and easy process unlike any other time I had been there for my little sister. I had never actually gone to the emergency room for myself except when I was really little for ear tubes. It was also really weird going alone instead of with my mom because she usually does the talking and knows what she is doing since she was a nurse before her nerve damage. Luckily, everything went smoothly and they were very knowledgeable about the workman’s comp deal since I was not too keen on what all I really needed to do. They gave me prescription pain pills and sent me on my way. Now it was time to drive all the way back to campus instead of staying at my house, which was way closer, since my little sister gets really upset when I have to leave to go back to school.

            At this point, it was around 1:30 a.m. and I was pretty scared to drive back with my left foot, in the pitch black with little to no streetlights, and a car that is not always the most reliable. Luckily, I made it back to my dorm in one piece with no complications and I felt pretty adultish at that point since I pretty much handled everything on my own. Walking back into my dorm at around 2:30 a.m. was interesting but the students at the front desk were super nice and considerate because they noticed my foot all wrapped up and everything. Once I got back to my room, I took the pain pills that were supposed to make me super drowsy but they actually did the exact opposite. I was not too surprised, though, since that has been the situation with most things ever since I was little. Soon I was fast asleep and that is where this story ends. I am sure there will be many more crazy stories in the future though. 

All for Cookies

          College is the time for you to go on ridiculous adventures and make friends. Although your studies are very important, you should have a healthy balance of fun to go along with it. You will definitely be missing out on a ton of experiences if you stay in your room all the time. One of my craziest adventures happened on a very stormy night and it is an adventure I will never forget. This created a bond between my new friends and I. It also showed how freeing and amazing college can be at times. In college, try to just go with the flow sometimes. It can really make for a great experience.

           I had just gotten back from Shabbat dinner at the Chabad House when I overheard there were free cookies at Hot Box Cookies. At this point it was pouring but a bunch of the girls on my floor and I decided that we wanted to go get them anyway. We tried to all fit in one car even though there was six of us. After rearranging everyone a billion times we eventually decided to just take two cars. One of the girls whose car we were using was not in a good place to drive so one of us just drove instead which was crazy in itself. As we drove, the rain came down harder and harder so we could barely see. At one point we were driving in the middle of the road which was interesting. Trying to find a parking spot was hard as well, especially because we really wanted to get as close as possible but there were no parking spots available. We drove around forever while the other two girls, who drove in the other car, already were parked. We spent maybe five minutes trying to figure out where they were parked but we eventually found them and parked close to them.

            For some reason when we opened the car, one of the girls could not find her phone so we were all freaking out since the road was like a huge river. She was panicking, it was pouring, the water was rushing down the road, and I was on the floor of the car searching under the seats trying to find it. I just remember her yelling, “Abort mission!! We have to find it!” Looking back at it now, it is quite hilarious. Her phone ended up being in her seat but she had sat on it somehow. After that excursion, we were finally ready to get out of the car to make our journey to Hot Box Cookies.

            The walk to the bakery was even crazier than the drive. One of the two girls who drove in the other car decided she did not want to go in so we all just went on without her but told her we’d bring her back some cookies. There was, luckily, one huge umbrella in the car so we tried to all huddle under it on our way up a hill. The rain was coming down so hard, especially with the wind that we were still getting pretty wet. Our feet were the worst though since the sidewalk was like a huge river. Our shoes and socks were completely soaked by the time we got to the cookie store, my hair that I had straightened was all curly again, and our clothes were super wet as well. The umbrella only helped us not look like we had jumped into a pool before going into Hot Box Cookies.

            Once we finally got into the store, we were surprised that there were not a ton of people there but we realized that most people probably were not as crazy about cookies as we were. The downside of this event, besides all of the other craziness, was that you had to like and share a post from Hot Box Cookies but we all had no service. We all got cookies anyway though since we went all that way. The service was pretty slow but the quality of the cookies was amazing! These were some of the best cookies I had ever had. They just melted in our mouths and tasted so chocolatey and delicious. After we all enjoyed one of our cookies, we decided to have the girl, who stayed behind in the car, to drive up the hill to get the girl who drove the other car so we would not have to walk back in the craziness.

            Unfortunately, none of us had her phone number so we had to text someone else and hope she was near her phone. Thankfully, she was not too busy so she replied in a decent amount of time and gave us the girl’s number. Everything went as planned, for once. On the way back to our dorm, we turned the radio up really loud and sang along. This experience was quite a bonding moment and definitely a night we will not forget. In the end, Hot Box Cookies was worth more than hair, clothes, shoes, phones, and possibly our lives at that moment. All of us are much closer now and have this crazy story we can tell for a long time. I know I will never forget this amazing night filled with laughter, singing, panicking, and delicious cookies.

Craziness Back Home

           One thing that is missing in college is your family unless you decide to live with them instead of in a dorm or apartment. Although you can talk to them on the phone it is not the same as actually being with them. You'll even miss out on some pretty crazy things while you're gone, especially if you have younger siblings. I sure have missed out on a lot but one of the most shocking moments I missed out on was when my sister missed me so much she tried to come visit me. I live about 40-60 minutes away by car so imaging my 9 year old sister on her Barbie scooter trying to figure out where my college is, is quite scary. She had sent me some adorable letters but nothing could compare to this.

            It was a Saturday morning, around nine o’clock, and I received a phone call from my little sister. She told me how much she missed me. She also told me how she snuck my mom’s phone while my mom was still sleeping and how she planned to return it before she woke up. Through the course of this phone call her voice seemed to be cutting out for some odd reason so I asked if she was speaking into the phone correctly since she is only eight years old. She told me she was so I asked where she was at in the house and she told me she was in her bedroom. I pondered over why the connection was so poor because usually it is just fine but I shrugged it off. After I got off the phone with her, I got dressed because my grandma was coming to visit.

            After my grandma and I went around town exploring and getting to know where everything was better, she went back to her house. We had a great time even though we were interrupted by weird calls from my mom’s phone. We would answer and no one would say anything but I figured my mom’s phone must be spazzing out or she was butt-dialing us. I would have never guessed what those phone calls were for.

            My mom called me later that evening to inform me that my sister had called me while she was walking outside, which explains why the connection became poor throughout the conversation. Not only was she outside, she was going down the road that my parents took to take her to come up to visit me one afternoon. My mom said she went really far and was gone for about four hours without them knowing. My mom was sleeping and my step-dad noticed the door was unlocked but thought nothing of it. She spent a lot of time walking and calling us, along with watching people fish and swim at the lake a couple miles away from our house.

            Luckily nothing happened to her and she did not go any further than she already did. Prior to this eventful Saturday, she had ridden her bike all the way to the high school that I used to go to because she hoped I would still be there somehow. Hopefully the next time she gets the idea that she wants to come see me, she will wait until my parents get up then ask them. It was a very crazy story to hear but also very heartfelt and sweet. I now believe that I have one of the sweetest sisters there possibly can be.

ON MY WAY TO COLLEGE!: Please Welcome Special Guest Jose Luis Landeros

ON MY WAY TO COLLEGE!: Please Welcome Special Guest Jose Luis Landeros: The Importance of Time Management By Jose Luis Landeros There is nothing worse for a student in this world than to have a due dat...

Navigating Around Campus

            From figuring out what buildings your classes are in to shortcuts on how to get to classes, there are many things that could occur. You could potentially be late to your classes on the first day, maybe even the first few days, since some campuses can be pretty big. DO NOT STRESS OUT THOUGH! Try to go with a friend, roommate, parent, or even just by yourself to discover where your classes are. There’s usually about a week or so before classes start after you move in so I would try to use that time to figure it all out. I went with a friend and probably made a fool out of myself trying to find the buildings. I live on a pretty big campus so that is no surprise, especially since I am horrible with directions.

            There’s also some nicknames, lingo, or slang for different places usually. For my college, Wescoe Beach is one of those funny places. Wescoe is the name of one of the many buildings on campus and there’s a big space outside that people call “the beach.” It is basically just a place with some benches and plenty of space for people to talk about different events, advertise, preach to students, etc. I was so clueless my first week that I told someone I knew where Wescoe was but that I had no idea where Wescoe Beach was. Don’t get me wrong, I knew it wasn’t a real beach but for some reason it didn’t click that it was actually just the area outside of the building. You will definitely embarrass yourself at some point but that’s totally okay.

            The bus system is another fun adventure on a large campus. For my college there are a ton of different buses that will take students a billion different places on and off campus. You have to make sure you get on the right one or you’ll be on quite an adventure. I have yet to get on the wrong bus so far because I know one bus that will take me to my classes and my dorm and I stick with it. There’s usually bus route pamphlets at different places on campus and you’ll even probably get one when you move in. I got mine in a little care package in my dorm on move-in day.

            Overall, just stay calm and try to get it all squared away before your classes actually start. Professors probably won’t be too strict on being late that first week but it could be embarrassing if you come in late. Try to get a map of the campus if you can too but look over it before you actually are walking or on the bus because you don’t want to look like a tourist. Also, don’t be afraid to go on crazy adventures in case you get lost. It might be a little nerve wracking but it could be a great way to figure out different short cuts to get to class or even just a place to go to relax on some stressful days. 

Move-In Day

           Those first steps into your dorm room are moments you will surely remember. I hadn’t met my roommate yet so it was a surprise to see her for the first time among all the other commotions of movie-in day. For some students, this day can be pretty hectic because of all the unknowns. Navigating around campus for the first time can be confusing depending on how big your school’s campus is. It can also seem like a fairly long day with all of the things you have to do in one day. Students who are coming from a different state have a lot of driving to do on this day on top of the rest of the moving in processes. Luckily, I live fairly close to my college so the drive was not much of an issue for me. Something I would recommend doing is packing everything in boxes or bags that go together. For example, pack all of your bedding items in one bag and all your toiletries in another so that everything is organized when you need to unpack it all. This will help the move-in process move much faster so you are not organizing everything for hours instead of just enjoying your new dorm.

            Saying your goodbyes to your family is very important but I suggest making sure your room is set up how you want it before you let your parent(s) leave. My room was a disaster when I moved in. My bed was sticking out almost in front of the door and the desk was between the wall and my bed so that there was no way to actually get into my desk. The only way to get the room to look decent and to be functional was to loft both of our beds which took a lot of work. We had to all pitch in to get both beds up and move everything around so that our room was more functional. During all of this craziness, I was meeting my roommate for the first time.

            We were both pretty shy at first but nothing was too awkward. We helped each other organize the room and we both had similar ideas so there was no issues with anything so far. This is usually how everything starts out though. Another thing that starts out one way and usually changes is the setup of the room. The floor I live on has low ceilings compared to the other floors in my building so the lofted beds were a hassle at times. We could not sit up in our beds because we would hit the ceiling and oftentimes we would hit it when we were just adjusting our blankets. Towards the end of the first semester, basically everyone on our floor was having a construction zone for a room for a day because we all decided to help each other unloft our beds and figure out a way to make it work. That is another story though…

The Big Change

           If you could wake up one day and change anything about yourself, what would it be? Personally, I tend to struggle with being able to talk to many people and put myself out there. I shy away from many events or parties because I am too shy and reserved. After moving into my dorm room at the University of Kansas, that all changed. I gained this newfound confidence with which I carry myself better. Instead of being a total loner, I have actually made some new friends and acquaintances.

            I had talked to my roommate a few times over the summer so when we got to meet in person, it was not as awkward and it was much easier to talk to each other. Unfortunately, she does not enjoy doing many things so we do not see each other often because I will be somewhere or when I am back at our dorm, she will be somewhere else. This seemed like a bad thing but it turned out to be something I have grown to appreciate. We both get to have alone time in our room at some point throughout the day and it also allows us to get to know other people as well. The floor we live on is amazing because everyone is so kind and easy to talk to.

            So far I have gone to lunch and dinner with a few of the girls on our floor and our wonderful RA every day. I have surprisingly made a ton of new friendships that I hope will last throughout college and even beyond college as well. Another girl on my floor has actually had a similar experience with her roommate so we have bonded over that and have become extremely close. During Hawk Week, I met a ton of new people by actually attending the many events that were held throughout the first couple of days. I let people get to know me much faster than I usually do by showing my quirky side. Some of the bonds I made with people really helped me to feel better about myself and realize that I do not need to hide away and be so introverted.

 If I had not changed, miraculously overnight, then I would be stuck in my room lonely and bored. It has also taught me to appreciate any hardships life throws my way. I would have never gotten to know my floor-mates as well as I have so I would have been going to eat alone for the majority of the time. Luckily, I changed and blossomed into the person I have always wanted to be. Of course there are still some aspects of outgoingness that I still need to work on but I am confident I will get there someday. Hopefully the rest of college will be uphill for me, except for maybe in literal form.