Tips for New Students
Hi–my name is Andrew Wright. As this is my first blog posting, I should tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a sophomore majoring in International Relations, and this year (2002) I’ll be a peer academic advisor for eight lucky freshmen in Rinconada!
Seeing that freshmen will be arriving on Thursday, I thought it appropriate that I throw out some tips for new students.
1) You won’t use half of what you bring! Most of those books you thought you’d bring to look smarter, will only collect dust. So will your 5 extra bath towels, 3 heavy jackets, and possibly even your stereo system (should you decide to pirate music on your computer). School supplies can be bought at fair prices from the bookstore. Not only do you have student discount, freshmen are entitled to an even larger discount on certain important items. Not only are they cheap, but that have “Stanford” written all over them (literally)!
2) Present yourself as you truly are! Over-exuberance or first-week acts of folly can quickly lead to a reputation or expectations that you may find hard to live up to. Remember, you have to live with your dormmates for an entire year, so be yourself and you’ll have nothing to regret.
3) The patterns you set now will determine who you become. Don’t neglect your devotional life because the more time that goes by, the easier it will be for you to shrug it off. As Glen once said, “We’re defined by our habits, so choose yours carefully.”
4) Search thoroughly, but plug into a Christian group quickly. Immediately you’re going to be bombarded with tons of different philosophies, and if you don’t have a group to help you explore and reinforce your own you’ll be one confused freshman! Also, friendships and bonds within the group tend to form quickly. And the longer you wait to join a group, the greater the chance you’ll feel awkward when you visit the group.
If you have any questions or contrary opinions, just make a comment below.