How to make BU your home

Everyone knows the transition from the high school to college is a big one, and not everyone adjusts overnight. At a big school like BU, it might seem even trickier finding your place.

So if you feel your middle school emo phase creeping back up because you’re all alone in a big scary city, The Tab is here with some makeup remover for your raccoon eyeliner, and ways to help you feel like a true Terrier.

Learn how to use the T

To some, the T may be second nature, but to others it’s a strange, scary, metal monster. If you feel uncomfortable on anything other than the B Line, you may feel stuck in the “BU bubble”.  It’s important to get to know Boston so you can take advantage of all of its unique opportunities. It’s also a great way to get out of your room if you can’t stand another minute with your roommate.

Don’t settle on dorm location

Where you decide to live can make or break your college experience. While freshmen have to live on campus, they also get last pick in the housing lottery. If you’re unhappy with your living situation there are plenty of direct swap options available.

If you hate your dorm or roommate, trust me, you’re not alone. So don’t forget to do your research about housing. If you’re naturally more outgoing and like to meet new people, living in a single on Bay State Road may not be the best decision for you. And if you just can’t decide, the saying “west is best” exists for a reason.

Find a club to join

Clubs are a great way to meet people who hold similar interests to you . And yes, everyone tells you this but that’s only because it’s true. Make sure to go to SPLASH and Weeks of Welcome events since they showcase a lot of the extracurricular activities BU has to offer.

Word of advice, don’t go and joining 15 clubs your first day on campus. Your inbox will be flooded with emails and you’ll definitely feel more overwhelmed than you already do.

Make your room your own

You don’t need to go spending thousands to make your room feel cozy, but you should bring decorations and other items that make you feel comfortable and at home. Things like area rugs, decorative pillows, and curtains really help distract from the fact you live in a box with cinderblock walls.

Since candles are not allowed, room spray is a great alternative and will still give your room that special scent that reminds you most of home. They’re also great for disguising the nasty, rotten food smell left over from previous tenants (sorry new residents of 321 Sleeper).

Make friends with BU employees

Everyone mentions how important it is to connect with your professors, but no one mentions befriending the people you see every day, multiple times a day. Talk to your security guards, the dining hall employees, and the cleaning crew.

There’s Joe, a security guard in West who reads plenty of books every week, and Bo, who sat at the Sleeper entrance to the West Dining and loved to chat about the weather. Let’s not forget about Chichi who makes some amazing pasta and always goes out on the weekends.

Many employees love to talk to students, and any familiar face is a good one when you’re feeling alone on campus. Also, these employees work incredibly hard every day just to make sure you’re taken care of, so you should always be kind to them. They want to help you out.

Make peace with your roommate

You don’t have to be best friends with them, but sliding passive aggressive comments their way about their inability to make their bed will not add to your college experience. It is important to be direct and honest, but not mean.

Also, you don’t need to be up each other’s butts all the time. You most likely spend over ten hours a day together, so make sure to get in your alone time.

Go to FitRec, Mugar, the GSU, etc.

There are plenty of places around campus you can go to escape stress, your roommate, or whatever else is ruining your college experience.

Between the lazy river, hot tub, yoga classes and smoothie bar, FitRec is definitely a place you can go relax. You might even discover a passion for fitness while you’re there.

Along with finding ways to de-stress, you should also find a place you can study successfully.

Mugar has five floors of fun-sucking study space. But if a library is not your thing, places like Bay State, the GSU and the StuVi 2 study lounge are great places to get your work done and potentially meet new friends.Having your school work in order will undoubtedly relieve some unwanted stress, making your days go by a little more smoothly.

So if you find yourself still feeling overwhelmed, try and find comfort in the fact that literally no one has their business together, even if it seems they do.

It doesn’t matter what people say,  because the truth is most people called their mom crying at least once. Go get some fro-yo from the GSU so you can eat your feelings and let tomorrow be a new day.