<p>Does anyone have any advice for freshmen concerning dorm life, specific classes, school traditions, work, etc?</p>
<p>Join the class of 2014 group on Facebook… lots of worthwhile information there.</p>
<p>On academics: Use your pass/fail wisely! You’ll have many opportunities to meet people/do fun things, and pass/fail means you can prioritize that over studying. If you try to high pass all your classes, you won’t have much time for social stuff.</p>
<p>At the same time, don’t fall into bad habits. Internet procrastination is your worst enemy, because it takes time away from sleep/friends. You should try to high-pass at least one or two classes, so you know what it takes to get decent grades. I’d recommend targeting math or physics because they don’t take too much time. Chem is tough unless you have a natural feel for it. CS and Writing/Hum will definitely require the most effort because your grade is mainly based on coding/essays.</p>
<p>On work: Don’t be surprised if the workload underwhelms you at first. During the first few weeks, I think I spent twice as much time playing cards/watching movies with people as I did doing school work on week nights. This initial phase is a wonderful time, so cherish it because it doesn’t last. Once it ramps up, you’ll want some way to wind down, so try to find what works for you as soon as possible, whether it’s rock climbing, exercising, playing an instrument, video games, whatever. Otherwise, you’ll start feeling stressed.</p>
<p>On dorm life: The orientation directors are usually right. Unless you lied on the room matching form, you’ll wind up in a place you’ll fit right in. You might be surprised with what they assign you–I know I was–but if you keep an open mind and are willing to try new things, you’ll find your dorm mates will become some of your best friends.</p>