frosh week tips?
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hey there,
***disclaimer*** aska spent her first, terribly misguided year at a university other than uoft (there are universities other than uoft? you better believe it, you egocentric turnips), so she doesn’t know the specifics of frosh here. however, it’s essentially the same event plopped onto different campuses, so my experience will hopefully still be somewhat relevant.
1. you don’t have to go.
most people enjoy frosh week, but some people don’t. that doesn’t make you weird – it’s your life for God’s sake, do what you want.
if you decide not to attend for whatever reason, why not use the week to find your classes, buy textbooks, familiarize yourself with campus, and scope out grocery stores and 7/11s, if you’re going to be living in rez.
2. it’s ok if you don’t meet your BFFLs at frosh.
i met some great friends during frosh week, but i met lots more in my classes, extra-curriculars, etc. be open to new friendships and chat with as many new people as you can, but don’t hate yourself if you don’t meet your soul mate in between college spirit cheers and football games.
3. be frickin realistic about your alcohol intake.
look, i’m not here to police your decisions – obviously, aska doesn’t condone underage drinking. but PLEASE, if nothing else, don’t go into frosh aiming to drink more than you’ve ever drunk in your life. this is not the time to be testing your liver’s overdrive capabilities. guess what? if you puke in someone else’s room, mom won’t be there to clean it up for you (take it from someone who saw a stranger projectile vomit off a bunk bed in someone else’s room, and then had to clean it all up themselves.)
4. no one cares if you’re attending frosh week ironically.
frosh week is a little bit cheesy. there’s dancing, chanting, leis, and themed parties with styrofoam cups, all of which is fun if you just go with the flow and don’t worry about how silly you look. if you plan on going just to make fun of it, you probably won’t enjoy yourself.
5. go to the “boring” parts of orientation.
there is always an academic portion of orientation that some people skip entirely (take a look at vic’s orientation schedule from last year to see how academic vs. non-academic activities balance out). which is fine, but if you’re at university because you’re not at all interested in academics, you’re probably not gonna last long here. my point is: guest lectures and club days are really useful, and you may even find them interesting.
and those are aska’s 5 tips! no matter how you choose to spend orientation week, i hope you stay safe and have a great time.
best,
aska
BONUS TIP: if there are any dances or formal events where you feel inclined to wear heels, always bring flats with you. you don’t look as cute as you think in bare feet, and you’re not going to enjoy the walk home either.
