So, the powers that be asked yours truly to write a nice, fluffy column letting all you young, tender freshmen know what you should and shouldn’t do while settling into college life. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of watering down anything, so I figured I should just give it to you raw now before something bad happens.After you get all the big stuff out of the way, there are still a lot of small things that you need to know, like what to bring on campus. I’m not going to run down the list of stuff that housing already gave you, but don’t be an idiot.
You do NOT need a pound of weed in your dorm room; for one thing, the smoke alarm in your room is way too sensitive for all that and besides.IT IS ILLEGAL! There are only a few things more embarrassing than getting kicked out of school. One of those things is getting kicked out on a drug charge.
Secondly, don’t invite people to rob you. I know fronting like you’re a baller is “what’s hot in the streets” right now, but if you keep a low profile, people won’t feel the need to liberate your belongings from you. And while I’m on the subject, I know someone may have mentioned it somewhere else in this issue, but try to get your things insured.
Most of you have roommates that may not care about your stuff; so extended warranties and renter’s insurance are necessities in the college environment.
The most important thing you need to take care of in college is yourself, so be careful of whom you’re with, where you are, and what you do. If you go to a party and you leave your drink unattended, don’t drink from it anymore. Guys should be aware of this too, because let’s be real; guys get raped too.
If you plan to be intimate (read: have sex ) with someone, protect yourself. A lot of people do a lot of really wild stuff behind closed doors, and sometimes they don’t protect themselves. So you should do yourself a favor and wear a condom. Young ladies, this does not exempt you from your responsibilty, so make sure the person you’re with is protected too.
Your parents may have told you a lot about life in college, but things have changed since they or even I started attending college. I hope you heed the advice that I gave you in this column, but if you don’t, whatever happens is on you.
If you sit down, shut up, and pay attention to what’s going on around you, you just might be okay. Good luck on this journey, you might need it.