<p>Don't take a hard combination of courses in your first semester. Some people can handle it, but a lot of the time it does not work out so well. Also, 9 AM classes are not so much fun. </p>
<p>Use the first week or two to meet as many people as possible. There's a finite window of time when it's perfectly acceptable to approach a random stranger and have a conversation, and once it's over it will be more difficult to meet people. Even if it's exhausting, use camp yale/the first week or so of classes to talk with/do things with as many people as you can. </p>
<p>Don't study in your common room/suite. It rarely works. Explore your residential college library, CCL, and SML early in the semester. You'll know what those acronyms mean when you get to campus. There are also less well known libraries hidden around campus, but i'll let you find those for yourself. </p>
<p>There are no childrens books anywhere in the Yale University library. It's a travesty. </p>
<p>(for later in the semester) There's a 24 hour computer cluster in the basement of connecticut hall. It's the most wonderful place on old campus, when your computer is broken. </p>
<p>I like Claire's (across Chapel St. from Bingham) for vegetarian food, Mahmoun's (Howe St. between Edgewood & Chapel, closer to Edgewood... in the general behind Piersonish region) for quasi-vegetarian middle eastern food, Thai Taste (up Chapel st from old campus, past York) for asian goodness, and Wall St. Pizza (on Wall St./College & next to Silliman). I don't understand why people make a big deal about Sally's/Pepe's pizza. I think they're both not so good, although i've only had their pizza at campus events, not at the restaurants. I like wall st. for on-campus pizza, and find yorkside/A1 to be kind of unpleasant. But other people would disagree. I find yorkside food, in general, to be kind of greasy and generally sub-par. But the atmosphere is good, so i still go sometimes. </p>
<p>Get a map of the campus and learn the area immediately. It will make your life a lot easier. If you can, find old campus on a map and learn the surrounding streets even before you get to campus... or as soon as you get to Yale. In a pinch, use google maps to find a place on campus that you're not familiar with. </p>
<p>Never wander far off campus/out of the downtown area late at night. So, so much of what people say about New Haven is patently false, but if you're wandering off campus past 2 AM, you're asking for trouble. Keep your doors locked, and shut your windows when you leave your room if you live on the first floor. Burglaries are rare, but there was a string of them in the colleges last fall. This won't happen if you lock your doors/shut your windows. </p>
<p>Books at the yale bookstore are overpriced. If you're certain you're taking a class, you can sometimes look up the text books for the course & their bookstore price on the bookstore's website, or you can check a course's syllabus on the syllabus browser at Yale</a> Online Course Information | Search Courses. I think it might be down now, but it should be up soon. You can also find a class' syllabus on OCS once it's up. Check to see if you can find a better priced book from an online bookseller, or ask your big sibs if they know anyone who's taken the class/might be looking to sell their old text book. </p>
<p>Your roommate can be your best friend, but usually they are not. Even if you think you are not such a good match, be friendly and respect their space. If you can live together without annoying each other, your situation will probably be fine. If you have a problem with something, say it early. </p>
<p>Freshman advisors are truly useless... don't expect them to help you pick out your courses or a major. Frocos and big sibs are much more useful for course picking tips, or for setting you up with friends in majors that interest you.</p>