The ultimate guide to FYSOP

Like many students are when they first arrive at college, I was a bit nervous. I had just come from a somewhat-rough high school experience, so I figured any help I could get would be wonderful.

That’s when I heard about FYSOP, or the First Year Student Outreach Program.

Besides meeting other students earlier and making a few friends, along with doing volunteer work with amazing people, there’s the added benefit of moving in early and picking out the best bed in your room.

So I decided to do FYSOP. And let me tell you, it was the best choice I could have made.

With that said, there are definitely some things you should be prepared for, both before and after FYSOP.

Don’t worry about what focus area you get

When you first apply for FYSOP, you are told to rank the focus areas. No matter what focus area you get (I was in animals), you are going to have an awesome experience.

Get to know your leaders

They aren’t just there to guide you through the process and make sure you aren’t doing anything stupid. They are great for answering questions about BU and Boston, along with being awesome people for hanging out with.

Be prepared for chaos to ensue

I’m pretty sure the creators of FYSOP secretly wanted to make you go a little crazy during the week so the rest of your time at BU seems almost easy. During FYSOP, you are go go go and have to be ready for long days.

Remember your sneakers!

Like I said, your week will be filled with things to do and the last thing you will want is to be complaining about your feet hurting.

Drink lots of water

It’s the summer and if it was anything like last year, it will be hot. We were given water bottles just for this reason. Stay hydrated so you don’t pass out!

The games are hilarious

You may be skeptical at first, but eventually you’ll love the games that are played. From “Ride That Pony” to the poison dart game, they’re all hysterical. You just have to be willing to try them out.

Be ready for the chants and songs

We always joked that FYSOP was a cult with all the chanting and clapping we did. Feel free to sing and yell as loud as you can. In fact, it turns into a bit of a competition, and it’s actually encouraged!

There will be some tough moments

Although everyone wants to have fun, there will be parts of the week when you and others can get emotional. The types of volunteer work you do can expose you to harsh and sad situations. It’s ok to get upset and it’s if you need to cry. You have a whole FYSOP family looking out for you.

You will have a FYSOP family at the end

By the end of the week, you’ll know the people in your FYSOP group extremely well and it will be hard to be apart from them. I see members of my FYSOP group everywhere and I literally ran into my FYSOP leader in the GSU a few weeks ago. Many of us still talk and there are other groups that still have family dinners and outings.