mack’s declassified college survival guide

While this post is targeted for my incoming freshmen babes, take what applies! #thissemesterisgonnabeamovie 🤪😙✌🏻💞

I go to a small liberal arts school with a student population of about 2,000 students in the middle of nowhere so clearly my college experience isn’t exactly comparable to that of a large state school, but this good info if I do say so myself.

I’m a first-gen student so I went into college without a clue what to expect. I had no clue how anything really operated nor did my parents. Sure, we knew the horror stories of dorm living and how everyone says it’s different than high school, blah blah blah. Besides the surface level stuff, I was lost and I didn’t really have anyone to ask. I remember reading and compiling multiple different packing lists because I had no idea what to bring for dorm living. So if you’re like me, lost in the sauce when it comes to higher education, chillax and let your internet big sister do the most as she always does.

GENERAL

• carry a reusable water bottle. hydrate or diedrate & cut down on single use plastic.
• dress however you want, it’s college & no one cares if you look like a bum. and it’s a great way to experiment w your own style. being known for having cool outfits isn’t the worst thing in the world. however, realize that your professors are networking opportunities so maybe avoid looking like you just rolled out of bed two minutes before class when possible.
• i’m not condoning it, but underage drinking isn’t such a huge deal in college. people just want to make sure you’re safe! as long as you’re not publicly intoxicated or a risk, you should be fine.
• be single your freshman year. i’m not going to tell you what to do (but i am). break up with your high school sweetheart, save the heartbreak and the ensuing bender. you can always get back together, but you can’t get your freshman year back. and don’t try to find a partner once you’re on campus either, just focus on making the most out of the year, okay? okay!
• the friends you make your first year probably won’t last the entire four years of college and that’s okay! sometimes those people serve their purpose and you grow apart after you settle in a little more.
• embrace the chaos, no one has their shit together even if they project otherwise
• that senior does not “love” you, babe. they’re looking for fresh meat because the people their age are tired of their weird bullshit.
• maybe this isn’t the best advice BUT you won’t remember when you stayed up all night studying for that test or writing that paper but you WILL remember when you spontaneously went to the gas station for slushies at 3am and wound up meeting your best friends. prioritize always, but live a little mmmkay!
• frat pledges are great! love those guys!…but they’re another breed. between being hazed and using their newfound status to meet as many new faces as possible, they’re not the best option for a romantic venture. friendzone first and reevaluate if applicable.
• get involved!!!!!! i cannot stress this enough. joining orgs gives you something to do and focus on other than school, and if you’re a first year it’ll help ease the transition.
• i loathe the fact that i feel the need to say this. sexual assault is common in college, unfortunately. it doesn’t just happen at parties either. obviously the issue lies with the aggressors but the responsibility falls to potential victims. if you’re going out make sure you go with people you absolutely trust! don’t set your drink down, and if you do just get a new one. be aware of your surroundings at all times and look out for others as well.
• for better or for worse, no one cares about who you were in high school.

ACADEMIC

• GO TO CLASS! Unless you’re a bonafide genius in a course, how else do you expect to learn and pass with good grades? just showing up is the bare minimum, set that expectation for yourself early on
• participate when you do go to class. it’s so easy to mentally check out, especially when classes are online. if you struggle with participation like me, make a goal to participate at least once whether it’s answering a professor’s question or making a thoughtful contribution to the discussion at least once per class session. also–be active during class, take good notes not only from the powerpoints but things that the professor says as well.
• make at least one acquaintance in each class. you’ll be thankful you did when you need the notes if you miss class or if you want a study buddy or if you need to partner for a project.
• avoid 8ams if possible, it’s nice to be up and start the day but they’re rough even if you’re an early bird
• try to schedule at least one class a day because some structure is often better than no structure
• time management will make or break you. it’s up to you to use your time wisely. get a planner or notebook to write all your assignments down. during syllabus week, write all the big deadlines (exams, papers, projects) in a calendar. try to get most of your work done during the day so that you’re flexible in the evenings if friends want to hang. make it a habit to be asleep by midnight during the week.
• keep in mind that how you present yourself in class is how others will form their opinion of you, which kinda sucks but it’s very true. so if you’re thinking about running for a prestigious position, but your classmates get the vibe that you don’t take your studies seriously they won’t take you seriously.

LIVING

communal living really isn’t so bad, at least not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. it is what you make it and if nothing else, you’ll end up with some good stories!

• go to your floor events if you live in a dorm. your RA’s spend time planning those and it’s a great way to meet people on your floor
• clean up after yourself. wipe your toothpaste out of the sink, take your hairballs out of the shower drain, you know the basics. and if you spew chunks after a rough night, at least try to aim for the toilet bowl. toilet>trashcan when possible because the smell won’t linger.
• respect quiet hours. coming home drunk at 2am and yelling down the hallways and slamming doors is a great way to make enemies. so glad you had fun bestie but some of us have to be up at 5:30am for a 12+ hour shift!!!
• don’t live with your bestfriend and don’t live with someone from high school.
• be careful about smoking in your room. sometimes you can get away with it, but other times you’ll be written up and we don’t need that drama.
• bring a fan
• set a timer for your laundry for the love of god

DEPAUW

• the Asiago bagels, chef’s kiss
• Hoover omelets can cure just about any hangover
• use your leftover swipes at the c-store!!!
• get your resume reviewed at the hubbard center
• Myers is a super cheap lunch option if you’re tired of Hoover
• buckle down and grind your work before Monon week, no one wants to stop the party to write a paper
• if you’re broke and have a meal plan–plan dinners at the Duck w/ friends
• if you have a solid idea of your major(s)/minor(s), plan your distribution credits wisely especially if you plan to go off-campus at some point. try to kill two or three birds with one stone when possible
• get to Julian early if you want a classroom, depending on the day they tend to fill up by 7-8pm
• have multiple study spots, the lights are off in Julian on weekends which makes studying in the atrium pretty dreary
• don’t judge someone based on their Greek affiliation (or lack thereof), it’s easy to get caught up in stereotypes and all that but there are great (and not so great) people in every house.
• be cognizant of how small DePauw actually is, word spreads like wildfire and your reputation (whether you care or not) will stick with you
• just say hi to people you run into on campus, don’t be weird
• know how the scheduling system works and use it to your advantage, it sucks to not get into any of your primary choice courses
• walk the alleyways when walking home from the frats
• humbert has a study lounge by the laundry room, use it!
• “work hard, party harder” speaks for itself
• do an academic challenge
• prime hammocking spots=bowman park and the labyrinth area near the soccer field
• grind culture is so toxic and everyone falls victim at some point, you don’t have to be doing the most constantly to make the most of undergrad. it shouldn’t be a competition to see who can pull off the best GPA while being involved in the most extracurriculars and landing the most prestigious opportunities.
• depauw can be clique-y and popularity shouldn’t be a thing, but in a way it is. don’t get caught up in it.
• don’t get stuck in the hoover line behind the XC/track team
• this sounds borderline weird but if you see someone around campus you think is cute, ask around about them! i mean, don’t approach a stranger and breach the topic but chances are someone’s circle overlaps with theirs and you can sus ’em out.
• Casey’s=promised land
• accept that if you hookup with someone, you’ll run into them all the time or probably have classes together. prepare accordingly. it’s only awkward if you make it awkward, but ghosting them doesn’t help things either.
• check out the archives! there’s so much cool depauw history to learn about, and the archives has all of it! once roy opens up again, go up to the second floor and look through all the old yearbooks.

love u more

mack