Words to the wise

Orientation is now in full swing, and the new batch of freshmen, red backpacks in tow, are descending in droves upon Bloomington. The fresh crop of frosh have not only made finding a computer at the Wells Library more difficult, they have ushered in a wave of nostalgia that I just can’t kick. \nAs a big bad sophomore, a whole year older and wiser than my counterparts in the class of ’12, I have some “learned-the-hard-way” lessons for the newest Hoosiers. So indulge me in my memories as I reminisce in an attempt to offer some advice not found in the Orientation packet. \nThe first week of school, one of the girls on my floor asked me if I wanted to go to the sauna with her and some friends. For the record, where I come from we don’t go sauna-ing, so I thought this swanky activity involved bathing suits and cute sunglasses. Au contraire. After brief introductions, the girl on my floor and her four friends immediately proceeded to take off all of their clothes and walk into this really steamy room. I was mortified, but I went anyway; two of those girls ended up being some of my closest friends.\nMoral of the story: College constantly challenges you intellectually and emotionally. You will always feel uncomfortable, but you will be better for it. Strip down (though, not necessarily literally) and allow yourself to be genuine and open to new people and new ideas. \nHalfway through the first semester I took to dancing for exercise in the racquetball courts at the HPER – not an ideal locale, but it worked. One day after about 20 minutes of intense jamming (if you are picturing a lanky white girl dancing to Outkast, you would be correct), I looked up to find that I was no longer alone: The 20 members of some hip-hop dance club were standing there watching me rock out to the music that, thanks to the beauty of iPods, only I could hear – I was, again, mortified.\nMoral of the story: Make time to decompress, and to be by yourself. Dance like no one’s watching, but be open to the possibility that they might be.\nMy embarrassing missteps aside, the best advice that I can give to future freshman is to immerse yourself in everything. Volunteer at the IU Auditorium, sit in the student section at sporting events and go see films in the Indiana Memorial Union. From the restaurants on Fourth Street to the farmer’s market, Bloomington has so much to offer that you can’t go wrong if you just stay open and take it all in.\nCollege is hard, but it is also one of the most exciting times of your life. So whether you are just starting, or are a seasoned pro, it doesn’t hurt to remember that sometimes we all have those days when we feel like you were just walked in on by a dance team. But, hey life’s short, and days like those make the best stories.