Dearest Freshmen, 

You’ve anticipated this year for as long as you could possibly remember. Maybe with excitement, maybe with dread, maybe with nerves that couldn’t possibly be calmed by anything except forgetting. You’ve probably spent hours envisioning just what your freshman year at OLu may have in store. New friends, a haze of classes, possibly even a dance break mid-Daily Gathering (to which I’m sure you were all sorely disappointed upon discovering that we do not, in fact, rejoice in song and uniformly dance on the surfaces of our lunch tables). 

But with each year, fresh, young faces enter our campus and the eager smiles present on New Student First Day rapidly diminish to a fearful, timorous expression that seems to widen with each gaping step you take to class. So here, with love, is a list of guidelines and tips to help you weave through the maze that is your freshman year:

  • A pair of headphones and a charger are your twin pillars, without which you will not be able to stand. And if you aren’t the one in need of a last-minute power boost, you’ll make a new friend who is direly in need of that extra 3% before their math class that starts in 4 minutes. 
  • You’re not wolves. There is absolutely no need to travel in massive packs up and down the hallway, howling at your friends who you just saw 20 seconds ago. 
  • SENIORS dismissed, not seniors and some other people who were too antsy to sit around for 30 extra seconds. We’ll all appreciate those precious few moments when it’s our turn to sit in the senior section.
  • In the hallways, walk. I beg you. Please don’t stop in the middle to talk to your friend or wait for somebody who is a few steps behind the group. When one person stops, the whole hallway stops, and you’ll get some not-so-positive looks from people who have classes across campus and the minute bell is ringing.
  • Freshman year is a whirlwind of classes and stress and possibly some not-so-great situations but is also a year for new friends and new opportunities. Enjoy your freshman year, Class of 2023, it’ll be over before you know it. 🙂

Photo Credits: Google Images

Written by

Hannah Williamson

Hannah Williamson, junior, has enjoyed reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She is excited to be able to further her abilities through the publication. In her free time, she enjoys playing softball with her teammates and spending time with her family. Hannah’s favorite book is John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.