What you actually need to know to survive at Stanford

As an East Coaster, I remember feeling completely lost moving to Stanford University. With so many contradictory sites and sources, it was so hard to identify what was really necessary and what was not useful at all. After learning from a year of surprises, here’s a list of tried and true items and tips for survival that you will need as a Stanford student.

You’re gonna want a bike (or skateboard, if that’s your thing)

Unless you adamantly want to walk 30+ mins to get to class (or way more if you live on East Campus and have classes at Stanford Med) you may want to invest in a bike. Wheels of any sort are especially necessary when you have those dreaded morning classes. And by “morning”, I mean anything before 11am. Believe me, getting up early is no longer as easy as high school, and knowing you can speed-bike/board to class in about five minutes is life-saving.

Also, invest in a lock unless you want to risk ending up like above. If it does happen to you, I hope you find a DeLorean to take you back in time (or win a skateboard at an on-campus raffle).

Being on campus is basically being at the beach

Prepare your tanks and tees! Cali weather is sunny weather. There are plenty of moments where you will be able to hit the pools or sunbathe on any patch of green grass (everyone else will be doing them too). We know how to use books the right way: sun shades (learning through diffusion of knowledge).

Also, make sure you are ready to partake in a classic Stanford tradition: fountain hopping! Bless the end of the long fountain drought of 2014-2016. Can you hit all 25?

P.S. Giant inflatables are awesome!! Bruce the Shark definitely came in handy for some classic Stanford night-fountain hopping with friends.

Cali gets cold too

You’ll adjust to the sunny nice weather pretty quick so NorCal’s (Northern California’s) evening and late autumn/winter chill will hit you hard. California is not sunny all the time as the college brochures might make you think. So, you better pack nice warm comfy jackets and sweatshirts to fight the cold (especially when you are in the stands for football games #GoStanford #WildCaff).

Don’t forget about precipitation

Once in awhile, it rains at Stanford (shocking, I know). The campus may look really pretty, but biking in the rain is no bueno. Wet bike seats will be the bane of your existence so make sure to hoard some plastic bags or waterproof bike seat covers to prevent you from getting the bike seat-shaped rain butt stain.

Get ready to rally

Tutus, fanny packs, wacky shades, tie-dyed everything, knee-high socks, and more will become a staple in your closet. Also, Stanford is all about the themed parties so pack up some of your old halloween props and outfits because there’s going to be at least one occasion, for sure, when they’re going to come in handy.

Pro tip: Forgot something? Hit up career fairs and sporting events for free swag

From T-shirts to water bottles to food, you can easily become a hoarder with all the free stuff being dumped on you from everyone. You could probably not bring a single T-shirt to Stanford and still be fine with all the T-Shirts you get during New Student Orientation (NSO). Stanford Athletics also sends plenty of useful swag alerts. It was such a headache trying to figure out what to do with all the stuff I accumulated by move-out time.

Prepare for fancy moments

Although everything may seem super casual or wild most of the time, students get dressy too. Dorm events, special D’s (dinners), and formals occur throughout the year. It’s nice to have something prepared so you don’t have to venture out off campus to put together something last minute.

These are the pictures you are going to pull out decades from now and reflect on the glory days. Always going to miss my freshmen fam #tramilylove #forever <3