By: Alyssa Gerety

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FIRST YEAR AT LEHIGH, WHETHER IT’S AT THE LIBRARY OR ON THE HILL

Orientation

It’s more scheduled than regular college life and you have a lot less freedom, but overall it can be a good transition. Some might have a tough time adjusting to the lack of air conditioning, while others might writhe at the close quarters, especially for those lucky fresh­man in M&M. Orientation itself can be a lot of walk­ing, especially getting used to the trek from your dorm down to Campus Square and back up again. The get-to-know-you games can be repetitive but you might come out of it with at least a few recognizable faces, which can be helpful during your first few weeks on campus.

Food

Coffee, you will definitely need it throughout the year. I don’t know how some people live without it. The best Coffee on campus can be found at Starbucks in Campus Square or at Baker’s Junction in Upper UC. Also, if all you eat is fried/fatty foods from the dining halls you will notice that you feel like crap. The endless stairs at Lehigh can help keep you in shape, but they don’t work miracles. If you resist French fry two-a-days and go for the scarce offerings of fruit and vegetables at the din­ing halls you will be thanking yourself later, especially with the added alcohol calories you will be carrying on select Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The Patriot recommends taking a piece of fruit back to your dorm as a free, late-night snack.

Class

Whether it’s because of their late registration dates or the need to get prerequisites for higher level classes out of the way, most Freshman get stuck in large lec­ture classes. Don’t sit in the last row if you hope to get something out of the class, and yes people do actually fall asleep – and get away with it. If you need help in one of your classes don’t be afraid to ask a peer or your professor, most will be more than willing to help. Don’t be afraid to get a deeper explanation; ask a friend to meet you at the library or schedule an appointment with a professor or TA.

Social Scene

If you haven’t noticed yet, everyone is nicer at college and most of the time it’s not too difficult to make ac­quaintances and find some great people. Frat parties may be a (“wow this is freakin’ awesome”) shock at first but they can help you get closer to friends and make new ones, plus they will help you get acquainted to the very prominent greek life at Lehigh. There are also so many great clubs to find people with similar interests as you. They all might seem very intriguing at the club fair but don’t overextend yourself and try to narrow down your involvement to a few activities you are really dedicated to after the first couple meetings. This will help you get the most out of each activity you participate in. v

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