How not to look like you're new

As new students are filtering through campus this year, it can be certain that among all of the hustle and bustle they will notice a sea of red lanyards worn around the necks of students typically carrying maps of campus.

These students, as upperclassmen will most likely point out, are freshmen.

After unpacking their cars, meeting up with new roommates and saying goodbye to their crying mothers; freshmen make their way into IU campus activities, classes and culture.  
This can be a hectic time in the life of a freshman. Most have never cooked their own meals, lived on their own or found themselves alone in a crowd of more than 30,000 peers.

Every upperclassman at IU dealt with these issues at some point in their college experience. Some provide much needed advice for the incoming freshmen looking to start their new Hoosier lives.

Soak it in

You should try new activities, and don’t keep a closed mind. College is an opportunity for a new start. You can be anyone you want to be, and you can do different things than you did in high school.

Junior Jason Garcia said when he came to IU, he was amazed at the activities the school offered.

“There is a lot of stuff here that usually wouldn’t have been offered to you in high school,” Garcia said. “I would definitely tell freshmen never to keep a closed mind, and to take advantage of what Indiana has to offer.”

Be social

As you leave your high school, you remember the good times you had with the friends you made in your hometowns. However, coming to college provides you with the opportunity to meet new people and make new memories. Do what you can to meet new people. Who knows, maybe the friends forged here will become lifelong companions.

Junior Zachary Williams said it is important to use the dorm experience to meet new people.
“Just go down your dorm hallway and introduce yourself,” Williams said. “Even if you’re not so social, it is very easy to make friends because so many people are trying to do the same.”

Don’t forget, this is school

Remember, college is meant to be as much a learning experience as it is a social experience. Spend just as much time studying as you do having a good time, and your experience will be great.

Sophomore Courtney Burroughs said that the sooner you realize you’re here to get good grades, the better off you will be.

“I spent my first semester not in the library and my second semester in the library, and I realized that I did a lot better in my classes,” Burroughs said. “I had a different mindset that I wasn’t here just to socialize.”

Senior April Kline said the main problem she faced as a freshman was procrastination.
“Don’t procrastinate and don’t party too much because it will just ruin your GPA,” she said.

Don’t go overboard with gear

School spirit is great, but don’t go overboard when you get here. It is one thing to be decked out in Hoosier gear at tailgates and basketball games, but don’t flaunt it in your finite class your first semester.

Junior Sean Glade offered some style tips for incoming freshmen.

“Don’t ever match your IU shorts with your IU shirts. I’ve noticed that one a lot,” Glade said.

Also, Garcia said it is very easy to spot freshmen just because of all the IU gear they wear.

“If you’re not an Indiana athlete, then don’t dress like one,” Garcia said. “Try to blend in. I looked around in class, and I was the only one wearing this stuff during a packed class in Woodburn.”

Don’t wear your lanyard

The number one piece of advice every upperclassman had was to leave the red lanyards at home. It is usually the first thing you receive that has “Indiana Hoosiers” written on it.

Keep it — it will make for a great keepsake — just don’t wear it around on your first day of classes. Like it’s color, it sends a red flag out to everyone around you that you are new to Indiana University.

“Don’t use the lanyards. You can spot them really easy,” Glade said.

“Everyone is going to know you are a freshman,” Burroughs said. “Just don’t broadcast it with the lanyard.”

“I never wore my lanyard around my neck,” Williams said. “I realized that was a total freshmen move to make.”

Just Remember

Freshman year can be difficult with tougher classes and adjusting to the college life.  However, according to Burroughs, it can all seem easier by just blending in with the rest of the college population.

“Just blend in. Don’t look so overwhelmed by everything,” Burroughs said. “Everything is going to be OK.”