Okay, I know what you're thinking. Kindergarten? But this is COLLEGE, the first step into the adult world. As true as that may be, you'll find the lessons you learned in Kindergarten to be the most useful for college.1) Nap time!
Remember those naps you grueling took every day after lunch? They're back. Except they'll be the highlight of your day, every day.
It's recommended that you get approximately 8 hours of sleep every night but a lot of college students go by on 5. Why? Last minute essay writing/cramming, got caught up playing Brawl with your suite, late night facebook stalking, etc. Whatever your reason, chances are you don't get the 8 hours you need (and if you're one of the lucky ones, you don't need 8 hours, but let's pretend you all do), so you'll be exhausted by the time your classes are over (or in between). Take a nap. It's okay. Everyone does it. Just make sure you get up in time for your next class/so you have ample time for 8 hours the next day.
2) Snacks, eating right, and eating regularly.
One of the biggest mistakes I saw some of my friends make was not eating nearly as much as they should have. DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE. For one thing, food is delicious (most of the time), you don't want to miss out on food. And just because you have an early class doesn't mean you can't eat - pack yourself some cereal for the next day or something! Stashing up on snacks is great for grabbing something before you sprint to the shuttle stop to make your next class or when you'll pulling an all-night for whatever reason and are dying of hunger.
However, be careful to not gain the freshman 15. Most of the UCSD people that I know had the good fortune to not gain the weight (I suspect its because we have a pay by the item meal plan), but here's a few dining hall tips to keep yourself in good shape (and get some good eats!)
- CV, Canyon Vista, our residential dining hall generally has pretty good lunches. I'm a huge fan of their tortas, pulled pork sandwiches, etc. For dinner though, their sides are surprisingly delicious. The scalloped or mashed potatoes are by far my favorite, but get some veggies! Most people skip out on this, but it's good for you!
- Foodworx is the second closest dining hall located in the heart of 6th. Although their personal pizzas may be delicious, be wary of how greasy they are. Don't get it too often. They also offer salads and wraps if that's your kind of thing.
- OVT, Ocean View Terrace (Marshall), has amazing sauté. Nearby, there's Goodys which has pretty good burritos.
- Cafe V (ERC) is pretty decent overall. It's a great place for big group dinners.
- Plaza (Revelle) has really good chicken strips/wings. The seating is also nice for just studying.
- Sierra Summit (Muir) was closed my year, but rumor has it they have amazing stir fry and is kind of amazing overall.
Living with people may be something new for a lot of you, but be nice and sensitive of other people's spaces. Don't dribble your basketball at 3AM because the floor below you will be quite angry at you (true story). Don't leave stuff all over the bathroom sink because 9 other people have to use that. etc etc. Just be sensitive of what you're doing, some people are more irritable than others and you don't want to get on their bad side. Everyone has feelings and even if you think their feelings are ridiculous, they exist. If suitemate tensions arise, confront them (but don't tell them you think their emotions are ridiculous).
4) Recess!
Go out and PLAY. Whether it be for an NCAA sport, IM sport, for a club, or just with friends, go out and be ACTIVE. I trust you all read Noah's post about exercise so I'm not going to talk too much about this other than I highly recommend this. I'm on the fencing team here and I recently joined the Wushu Club and it's awesome just being active.
5) After-school
Join clubs! They're fun, great ways to meet people, and an excuse to do things. (another plug) My club, BMES (Biomedical Engineering Society) is great because we have both professional events and social events, making the club a great place to be. Lots of people join NSU, MASA, Circle K, and love it. Check out all the different clubs on org day and find your niche! It'll make college so much more fun.
So, that's it for my overzealous and long blog. If you guys have any questions, be sure to ask them on the orientation group page! The OLs are here to help [: I hope you guys have a wonderful college experience and I can't wait to meet you!
-Tiffany Saw, Freshman OL Group 5
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