1. Get out. There’s a college beyond your dorm room door. Don’t keep it waiting; let it in for a chat, maybe an hour of Netflix. You’ll meet some of your best friends for the next three years in the first three weeks, so get out and get busy putting names to faces.
2. Get some sun while it lasts. Holland’s usually good enough to give us all a roughly two-month long grace period before letting the frost creep in around October. Cherish those months; it’ll be the only time of the year you’ll be wearing shorts outside of gym class.
3. Hit the road. Don’t stay holed up in Holland; its a nice little town, but you’ll have seen all of it inside a semester. Don’t be afraid to broaden your horizons and boldly go where hundreds have before you. Sign up for an outdoors club and explore the wider Michigan area; there are simply way too many beaches and parks out there that desperately need to wind up on your computer backgrounds and Instagram photos.
4. All play and no work… You’ll want to get used to spending some one on one time with your books; getting familiar with the coursework schedule saves you from getting blindsided with unexpected assignments and quizzes. Study regularly enough and it’ll become a habit that gets you a few A’s every semester. Don’t plan to write last minute papers. Inspiration’s a fickle mistress… she might favor you on a night you need her least and abandon you when you need her most.
5. Get some space. Get a couple hours of “Me-time” a week, away from the noise and blur of campus life. Don’t overexert yourself on extracurricular activities every week or you might burn yourself out. Sometimes we need to step out of life’s marching band and play solo awhile, before jumping back in line.