Everything you should know as a William & Mary freshman

You load up the car with a ton of containers full of clothes and trinkets you don’t need. Your parents can barely see out the rear window as they back out of the driveway of your family home. You put in your earphones and turn towards the window trying to not feel homesick already.

Here are a few pieces of advice to ease you into college as a freshman… more specifically The College of William & Mary.

I know you’re used to being the best, but you will not get A’s on every assignment – and that is okay. Take a deep breath.

The saying that you can have three things in college (a social life, academics, or sleep), but you can only excel fully in two is true.

You will miss your friends from high school, but if you open yourself up to new opportunities you will make friends that know you better than anyone you’ve ever met – besides your family.

Rejection is a part of life. Take it, learn from it, grow from it. This will prepare you for the real world.

The traditions at this school are centuries old, so try to experience as many as possible – I promise you’re not too cool for this.

You will have the honor of tripping on the same bricks that plagued Thomas Jefferson himself.

It really does go by quickly, so take in as much as you can in the four years you are here.

The Tribe really is your family: “One Tribe, One Family”

Yes, during the summer months, you will realize that Williamsburg is located in a swamp.

Political debates are inevitable.

During finals week, almost everyone camps out in Swem (our library), since it is open 24 hours. They’ve even had to ban sleeping bags and tents.

The treadmills are always taken at the rec center in the early morning, right before lunch, and after dinner – plan your workout accordingly.

Give in to your basic tendencies and buy rain boots. You will need them to survive the flooded campus after the random torrential downpours.

President Reveley is cooler than Dumbledore.

You aren’t just a number here – you really do get to know your professors (12-to-1 student-faculty ratio).

You can leave your belongings anywhere on campus without fear of them being stolen. People truly respect the Honor Code.

Dorms without A/C are sweltering, but luckily there are only a few left without A/C. If you are unfortunate enough to get assigned one of these dorms, bring some fans and you’ll be fine.

You can make your course load as heavy, or as light, as you want.

Your GPA doesn’t define you.

It is not guaranteed that you will become best friends with your roommate.

And never forget: If you run, or walk, down Dog Street you will inevitably step in horse shit at some point in your college career.