Your college years are your best years. If you’re a student at Rochester Institute of Technology, here are seven things to avoid in order to make the most of them:
1.) Get the meal plan with the fewest Gracies meals.
Gracies is an on campus restaurant located near the dorms. Meal plans are mandatory for freshman, but there is a way to make the most of them. The plan with 10 Gracies meals and $650 in debit is the best option. You have more money to spend on groceries. Gracies, a campus restaurant, has a reputation of upsetting your stomach and you don’t want to pay more than you have to for that.
2.) Don’t get drunk on your first weekend.
You will be labeled as “that guy/girl.” It’s not cool and having your roommates or floor mates have to care for you, and it will ruin their night too. Actually make some friends before you get plastered, and it’s more likely you’ll be seen as someone having fun and not as someone who doesn’t know their limits. They’ll also be more kind about taking care of you.
3.) Avoid the wind tunnel.
Wind gets trapped between the Eastman Building and the Student Alumni Union in the middle of campus. It will ruin your hair best case scenario. At worst, it will make a cold, snowy day much more miserable. You can avoid it if you take the last door out of the Student Alumni Union towards the bus loop and walk straight instead of turning left. The wind tunnel doesn’t sound like a big deal until you’re stuck in it and it’s so strong that you can barely breathe.
4.) You can largely avoid going outside here at RIT.
Because many of the main colleges are connected by bridges or tunnels, Winter lasts from October to April, so if you don’t like the cold, you can avoid some of it! And since many students actually do enjoy the cold, they’re never too congested.
5.) Don’t start a new relationship immediately.
Resist the urge to make it official within the first couple weeks of college. You’ve met less than 1% of the student body and chances are this person is close to you, whether they live on your floor or are in one of your classes. So if this fails, there is no avoiding them. Give it time, meet more people and you may meet someone better or at the least someone easier to avoid if this goes south.
6.) Don’t live with your friends.
Even if you’ve been best friends your whole lives, try to avoid living together. Nothing puts more stress on a friendship than living together, especially during the first semester when you both will do a lot of changing. It’s better to just always visit your friend than live with them.
7.) Avoid slacking off in the beginning.
Going out and blowing off work can be a lot of fun but it’s better to start off strong and then have some leeway with your grades at the end of the semester. It’s a lot better to go from an A to a high B because you have so much work going into your grade, than it is to try and save a suffering class. Going from a B to an A is infinitely harder at the end of the semester.
8.) Don’t wear your lanyard.
I don’t care that they give it to you during orientation, it’s still not cool. You look terrible running to class, with it swinging around your neck. Use a normal key ring and toss your keys in your pocket or bag.
These 8 tips will get you off to a great start, but don’t be afraid to ask your orientation group leader for more. And try to create your own collection of tips by the time you graduate, it’ll allow you to reflect on your time here!
Tianna Mañón is a graduate of RIT where she majored in Journalism and Political Science. She is interested in all things internet, photography, and food. Don’t get her started on policy or human rights unless you have nowhere to be for the next few hours. She also enjoys running, yoga, and swimming. She currently resides in Rochester, N.Y.