Everything I’ve learned in my first month at Tulane

Since I’ve arrived in New Orleans a little under a month ago, I figured that it’s time to recap everything I’ve learned. From countless nights spent outside The Boot socializing with pretty much any stranger I could connect with through Jewish geography, to actually making it to my 8AM class on a Friday, I can assure you that so far it’s been a wild ride.

Places to Be, Party-Wise

Basically, the weekend starts on Wednesday if you really want it to, but your pregame will inevitably be filled with people in pajamas who aren’t going out, and you’ll wind up hanging hanging outside The Boot until the night ends.

Thursday nights are, for some, the best night of the week – I mean, is there really anything better than getting slightly overdressed and dancing on the pool table at F&M’s while eating cheese fries?

On Fridays, there’s almost a 100 percent guarantee that you’ll hear the eternally exciting news of a frat party – if that’s the case, you’ll probably take a picture in front of the yellow, green, and purple crown on the first floor’s wall and dance to at least one random throwback (most recently, Sweet Caroline).

Saturday’s are the best day of the week, but only if it’s game day, and that deserves its own section.

Sunday’s have been strictly dedicated to darties – if the weather cooperates. We’ve all spent all morning figuring out the best bikini top and jean shorts combination to wear to a never-been-cleaned pool and SAE’s Slip and Slide party.

Catch the tailgate before the tailgate on Game Day

There’s no experience like showing off your custom made tailgate clothes in the thousand and one pictures you and your friends take, ordering a Hurricane at The Boot (or ordering 5, if your friends don’t get wristbands), and walking through the rain to a frat party, all before the tailgate on the quad even starts.

When you finally make it to the quad, you’re definitely going to take photo booth pictures under one of the tents, and eat any and all free food you come across – there will be A LOT of it. At this point, everyone’s ready to nap and order in dinner later, and if you’re lucky, rally later that night.

Boot pizza is always a good idea

For some people, even hearing the phrase “Let’s go to Bruff,” is enough to make them cringe, but you can definitely find people who really don’t mind it. On campus, the LBC is a godsend for grabbing lunch between classes, even though we’re all avoiding the fact that we’ve eaten through almost all of our Wavebucks at this point. Le Gourmet is an underrated spot for salads and sandwiches, and it’s open for later dinner hours after the LBC closes.

If you’ve already ventured off campus for food, you know you’ve gone to Satsuma on a Sunday morning (after getting to Willa Jean just to be told there’s a two hour wait), Dat Dog to end an afternoon at The Fly, and Pizza Domenica at least once already, and you’ve ordered in from Fresco’s a hundred times when it’s too rainy to even think about leaving Sharp. Lastly, Boot pizza is always a good idea.

Classes and Homework are in fact mandatory

Yes, this is a real text, but contrary to popular belief, I do go to class

Like my mom always says, the hardest part is showing up. Probably the hardest thing you’ll have to do (besides schoolwork) is get up for your 8am class, and if you don’t have one, you know how lucky you are when you roll over in bed after hearing your roommate’s 7:30 alarm go off. Doing homework is a must, whether you’re the type to finish it at Howie T before dinner, or you don’t mind saving it for when you get back from a wild night at F&M’s.

Put yourself out there (even if that’s not your style)

Arguably, the most challenging, yet most rewarding, part of the first month is getting situated with friends. Some of us are lucky enough to fall into a sort-of preset group of friends from the very start, and others find it tougher to branch out and get to know people, but the most important thing is keeping an open mind. Being judgmental is a recipe for getting off on the wrong foot, while being yourself is the perfect way to click with people who you’ll feel really lucky that you met.

Like everyone’s been trying to do for the past few weeks, just push yourself to get out there (even if that’s not normally your style), and you will definitely find at least a few people you can count on. And if you’re lucky, like many people are, you know your roommate will always have your back. If not, don’t sweat it; there’s almost 2,000 kids in our freshman class, and you probably haven’t even met 200 yet.

All in all, this month has been one of the most fun, most unforgettable, and most extraordinary months I’ve ever experienced, and I’m positive that every freshman at Tulane can attest to that fact in their own way.