What to expect as a freshman at JMU

So you’re about to be a freshman at JMU (or you’re a washed up senior feeling a bit nostalgic). Going to college is already a big transition – but going to college in Harrisonburg is another adventure in and of itself. So here’s everything you’ll need to know to survive.

FROG week (1787) will feel a lot like summer camp

To sum it up, orientation week is weird. Your parents are essentially kicked out of the dorms as soon as you’re unpacked and there is no turning back. From this moment on the week to come will be full of painful icebreakers, very excited upperclassmen and crazy lines at the dining halls. It will also be a super important and fun week so don’t blow it (don’t worry you won’t), but in all seriousness TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FROG WEEK.

This is a super easy chance to make friends. You are going to be spending the whole week with a group of people who are just as afraid and in need of friends as you are. I promise you are not alone, everyone is embarrassed during Ride That Pony, and in a few weeks you and your new friends will look back and laugh about how awkward it was. You are also stuck, for better or worse, with two awesome leaders who worked really hard to be there with you. Ask them questions. Take advantage of their knowledge of the school and the campus before you miss your first college class because you couldn’t find memorial (it’s far and you will need help finding it there’s no way around it). Even if you don’t think you’ll have fun go to FROG week events, some of them might be cheesy but you will meet a ton of people and have a lot of fun. Besides, you have four years to go to parties.

Hills.

Just expect hills. Everywhere you go, there is no way around it. Unless you take the stairs.

Classes might suck

As a freshman you are going to be taking a lot of general education courses. A lot of them will be in big lecture halls, which can be pretty overwhelming, but you’ll get used to it. Some might be really hard and some might be a joke. Either way, give them some effort. Some of the best classes you will take at JMU will be gen ed classes taught by amazing professors. Even if you think you know what you want to do you might change your mind, so go to your gen eds and do the work because you might find that you love the subject and want to change your major. Maybe you will have no such change of heart, but senior year you will at least thank yourself for starting college with a decent GPA.

Course registration is a nightmare  

This is no understatement. It is hard as a freshman, and it is still hard as a senior. As a freshman you are the last to register and you just have to suck it up. Don’t stress about it. Whether you have a major yet or not you have several years to complete those classes. Focus on getting gen eds out of the way while you can. And don’t listen to rate my professor, no one with moderate feelings towards a class or professor has ever posted on that site. Take the classes that seem the most interesting to you. And when you can’t get into those classes, just try not to take an 8am. You might have to, in which case I am very sorry and wish you the best of luck during your dark days.

Eating on weekends is hard 

For some reason JMU thinks that students don’t need to eat on weekends. Most of the dining halls close or operate on really weird schedules. Plan ahead, try to figure out the hours of places early on so you aren’t walking across campus in the snow to be disappointed. If you get tired of brunch on weekends, do have food in your dorm. Otherwise you will be very hungry at 3pm still waiting for Dukes to open.

People are going to be excited for you – perhaps more excited than you are for yourself  

I cannot count how many times people yelled in excitement when I told them I was a freshman. Yes it is a lot. I still don’t know how you are supposed to react. Here is the reality of the situation: these people are excited for you and wish they were in your shoes. College goes by fast, and you will soon find yourself wishing you were a freshman again. If you take anything from these startling encounters, know how much that individual must love this school to be yelling for you and your youth. Bask in it.

There will be tons of freebies

Try to tame your excitement for buying tons of JMU gear. It will be thrown from the rooftops at you. I have more t-shirts and plastic cups than I will ever know what to do with. That does not mean that I still don’t take them when they are offered. I am no fool. The opportunities for free food, games, and goodies at JMU are quite literally endless. Take advantage of them, and pay attention to emails and flyers so you always know where the free mac and cheese bites are going to be.

There is no such thing as a dorm party

If you get invited to one don’t go. This does not happen at JMU. Parties will always be off campus. As a freshman you might find yourself at a lot of frat parties. They are gross and crowded with sticky floors and watery beer. Oh well. It’s a rite of passage, and we’ve all been there. Don’t ever expect there to be toilet paper at a party, and always expect lines for drinks and the bathroom. There is ample transportation available for party goers on weekends so take advantage, and avoid getting in trouble. Parties at JMU are constant. If you don’t want to go out on a weekend, don’t sweat it there will be tons of opportunities for you do so. Just don’t go to “dorm parties”.

Some other things to consider:

If you wear your JAC on a lanyard the world will know you are a freshman. No real harm in this, just forewarning.

We take Halloween seriously at JMU. If you aren’t going to dress up don’t go out. Believe me on this one.

People are super friendly. If you need directions don’t be afraid to ask.

Good luck and get ready for the best four years of your life!