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The Rocky Mountain Collegian

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian

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50 things incoming Colorado State freshmen need to know

Some consider college a new academic step in life, while others look forward to the partying, opportunities to make friends and the general college experience.

Regardless, there are certain quirks about attending Colorado State University that every student should be aware of.

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Here are 50 things incoming CSU freshmen need to know.

1. Take off your lanyards. It’s an immediate freshman give-away, and it doesn’t look as cool as you think it does.
2. Take your keys to the showers. Nothing’s worse than talking to the cute person at the front desk with just a towel on. Then again maybe it’s not so bad.
3. It gets hot in the dorms, so get used to it. It’s basically a rite of passage.
4. Take advantage of the Rec Center and work out! You’re already paying for it.
5. Don’t take an 8 a.m. class if you can help it! Without a ton of willpower, it can be incredibly difficult to get out of bed for such an early class.
6. Switch up the dorms when you’re eating, otherwise it’ll get old.
7. The TILT building is an awesome resource for writing and study tips. You’ll probably learn more there than you will in class.
8. When a weird guy with a beanie and sunglasses approaches you to ask if you have a minute to talk, you don’t.
9. There’s free printing somewhere. Every student has access. You just have to find it.
10. Go to class before you buy your books. “Required” doesn’t always mean required.
11. The Clark A swivel chairs are pretty awful. When your chair moves, the person’s next to you does too. You will get to know your neighbor, so watch out.
12. Wear shoes with traction when it snows, e.g. not Uggs.  Trust us, every surface on campus will be icy.
13. Take those coupon books people hand out the first few days of class. There’s a pretty good selection, and even if you just use one, it’s a win.
14. Be aware of your surroundings when campus is packed. No one likes a long board or a blockade of six girls arm-in-arm when campus is busy.
15. The iClicker points will add up if you ditch those classes a lot.
16. Don’t get coffee five minutes before or after class.
17. Don’t pack 10 people in a dorm room on a Saturday night.
18. Don’t forget where you parked your bike.
19. Set good privacy settings on Facebook and be social media conscious.
20. Invest in a good pair of headphones… dorms are weird, you never know.
21. No one wants to hear your drunk stories about last night.
22. Have a flash drive with a decent amount of space on it.
23. You’re a freshman and the courses you are taking now are going to be the easiest you will take. You will have more free time now than any other year in college.
24. Just because the weather is hot in the morning doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
25. Water bottles are nice to have. We have refill stations on campus!
26. It’s not high school anymore – if a movie is shown in class, you’ll probably be tested on it at some point. Think before you nap or ditch.
27. Don’t expect all of the content to be in the powerpoints. Take lecture notes, and read (well, depending on the class and your free time).
28. Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes are so tempting to ditch, but so easy to go to.
29. The weekend starts on Friday, not Thursdays, Wednesdays or Mondays.
30. If you don’t drink coffee now, you will soon (and you should).
31. Tony Frank’s beard: it’ll happen.
32. Be honest on course evaluations, but don’t be afraid to disguise your handwriting.
33. Pay attention to emails – it’s how professors communicate and how you’ll know if class gets cancelled.
34. As fun as watching a movie on a 15 inch laptop with six people in a dorm room sounds in theory, it is not fun. Do something else with your time.
35. Be careful of who you share your streaming service passwords with.
36. Make friends in class, proceed to steal notes when you miss class.
37. Just because it’s free wifi doesn’t mean it works.
38. Be conscious about noise in the dorms. Somewhere, someone is studying for a big test, and it’s not cool.
39. 20 minute naps are better than three hour naps.
40. Most classes give you two to three free absences. Use them sparingly because you will get a horrible cold at the most inconvenient time in the semester.
41. Non-profit organizations camp out at the plaza a few times each semester. Unless you have a lot of money to spare, avoid talking to them because they will guilt trip you into year-long donation contracts
42. Even if you are a good student, take any extra credit opportunity you get. At the end of the semester, that can make the difference between a B and an A.
43. College syllabi need to be read. Not every professor will remind you of every assignment due date or exam.
44. Don’t be the person who eats at Taco Bell or Panda Express every day. You’ll regret it.
45. If you have some free time, walk around campus to learn the quickest route to class.
46. Keep track of your grades, because your professor might not. At the end of the semester, you may find that half your grades haven’t been entered.
47. Don’t make up excuses for not completing assignments. This isn’t high school, and professors aren’t going to give you second chances for slacking off.
48. Don’t do the crossword during class if you sit in the front. You will be called out in front of the whole class and it’s really embarrassing.
49. If you drive to school, don’t be the person that steals a parking spot from a driver waiting for a car to back out. Parking spots don’t grow on trees at CSU.
50. Never count on the tampon dispensers to work. They probably haven’t been stocked since the 70s.

List compiled by the Collegian staff. Feedback can be sent to entertainment@collegian.com.

Pick up the CSU Move-In Guide on stands now!

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