8 Things to Know For Your First Day of College

The first day of college is liberating, exciting, and scary. With so many emotions being released simultaneously, multiplied by the thousands of other freshmen experiencing the same thing, the first day can be downright crazy. Here are eight tips that will help you keep cool:

1. Be confident. Everyone is just as confused as you are. If you act like you've done this before, others will perceive you as knowledgeable and immediately put you in a higher social standing in their mind. What a great way to start your college career.
2. Do your research. Look at the campus map and review the move-in day itinerary the night before. This will help you to navigate through the circus of 18 year olds, parents, staff, and luggage. This will not only reduce your stress level on the big day, it will naturally allow you to be more confident in your actions (see number 1).
3. Make friends with your floor mates. It is vital to not only get along with your roommate, but also with the people on your floor in the dorms. This will be home base for the next year, and you want to set off on the right foot. More than likely, there is at least one new life-long friend just a few doors down, and meeting him/her should be high on your priority list.
4. Don't buy your textbooks. Textbooks are one of the biggest scams on campus. Teachers will list the most current edition of a textbook as required for their class. More often than not, older editions are just as acceptable, and are much more affordable since their value drops drastically once the new version comes out. Furthermore, sometimes certain books are written down as "required," but the teacher will use it maybe once. Don't become the next textbook-scam victim.
5. Be socially pro-active. Many people get fed-up with the social classes and cliques in high school. They think it will all change once they get to the university. It will only change if you change it! Within the blink of an eye, cliques will be formed, friends will be made, and social statuses will be determined. Make sure you don't miss out on this critical moment.
6. Don't get arrested. All too often, freshmen are so excited that they can do whatever they want, that they get into trouble. This may be from drinking too much, causing trouble in the dorms, or a multitude of other circumstances. Do everything in moderation this first night, and learn from the mistakes of your naive peers.
7. Don't go too crazy the first night. By all means, have fun, go out, celebrate your freedom with your new co-eds. But remember, everyone is still making their first impression of you. Don't be labeled as a slut/player, kid who threw up everywhere, got kicked out of the party, etc. The first impression is the strongest, and be wary of creating an image that might be hard to shake.
8. Relax. Amid this whirlwind of excitement, opportunity, and freedom, you might forget to take it all in. Step back for a couple minutes and appreciate the chaos - once it is all over, you'll be thankful for the memories.