The Adventitious VCU Culture: Some simple advice for freshman forays

We all go through it: those first few weeks of college where life is a scramble of parties, new classes, new roommates, RA’s, TA’s, SGA, clubs, sports and trying to figure out what to do with your life.

The truth is that all of this is completely normal, and is in fact, a test. It’s the first test actually, the test to figure out whether you can manage your life on your own in the presence of a thousand distractions and a flood of hormones. What you do in those first few weeks has a significant bearing on what sort of habits you will develop, and what sort of situations you might find yourself in. So, in order to keep you sufficiently prepared for some of the challenges ahead, here are a few recommendations.

1. Do not get into a party shuttle. If people are willing to take you to a party, there can’t be much waiting for you at that party. The first instinct is to get loose and break onto the party scene, but most of these freshman events are all about drinking and exploitation. Don’t go to a party that isn’t within walking distance unless you have a definite and sober ride back.

2. Make a lot of friends, but don’t be friends with everyone. There are thousands of people in the dormitories and you don’t always know who’s being genuine. Give a person the benefit of the doubt when trying to make friends, but pay attention to what they say and do. If their behavior isn’t compatible with your beliefs, hear them out but don’t put yourself into harm’s way in an attempt to be popular.

3. Don’t lose your I.D. Everything in VCU runs on that card: your food, your access to the dormitories, and it’s a necessary component in buying books. Replacing it is a needless expense and a waste of time. Keep it on you at all times, and not attached to something that will easily break.

4. Get to know at least a few people in your classes. You never know when you might miss a class and will need to copy notes or find out what is on next class’ agenda. This way you won’t blow it when you sleep in, or have an unforeseen obstacle.

5. Talk to upperclassmen. They have taken your classes, met with your professors and they are still here. Clearly you should use their knowledge to avoid lousy classes, learn about Richmond and see sides of VCU you haven’t explored yet. All of these things can be yours for a simple

Shafer Court Dining Center swipe. And believe us: you have plenty of Shafer swipes to spare.

6. Be hygienic. Shower shoes are a must, wash your hands always, wear protection, smell nice, eat 7-Eleven only twice a week and wash your mouth out after you throw it up.

7. Go to class! Not to sound militant or anything but it really is important. It might be super tempting to skip your 500 person 8 a.m. lecture where Mr. What’s-His-Face can’t tell you apart from that sorority chick with the Victoria’s Secret PINK! bag, but in the end you’re better off. This way you don’t have to send out those super annoying mass e-mails asking for notes, and if you visit your professor during office hours for some much-needed one-on-one tutoring, you can honestly say you’ve gone to class. So take the advice kiddo, it might just help.

8. Cars? Who needs those? It might be hard to part with your beloved beat up Fiat, but there are other ways to get around. Richmond has quite a cycling culture that’s not only efficient but trendy, too. So, don’t be afraid. Style your bike with some fancy rims, frames and handle bars to show your true colors. If bicycles aren’t quite your thing, there’s always the Greater Richmond Transit Company which provides free VCU student passes for full time students. Just hop on over to 1108 A W. Broad St. to get yours. The last option is to walk it off. You will not only get to your desired destination but might avoid the freshman 15 in the process.

9. Quarters are gold. You’d be surprised how expensive doing laundry at the dorms can get, so keep track of these lil’ suckers. If you’re having a total hobo week, take a ridiculous amount of laundry next time you go home. Hey, they don’t call them loving parents for nothing.

10. Plan your Halloween costume months in advance. Seriously, this is the biggest holiday of the year in college. There will be more Halloween pictures on Facebook than all your accumulated pictures from high school. So you want your Halloween costume to be memorable, because you’ll be looking at it a whole hell of a lot.

11. Join a student organization. The earlier you join, the earlier you’ll be able to advance in rank and add to your résumé. You’ll meet peers who share similar interests and most importantly, you’ll be able to make connections. This will come in handy when you’re trying to find an internship your junior or senior year.

12. Get to know your roommate. This might seem like the most obvious piece of advice but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t follow it. It’s important to know what you like and don’t like in others when you’re trying to pick a roommate the next year, so get acquainted this year. Plus, this might be the only chance you get to live with someone with a completely different background, so get out of your shell a little bit. You might just like it.