Hi! So I’m currently a freshman at an NE BS nearing Finals week. Though I should be working on my English portfolio, I have successfully avoided that by deciding doing this would be better.
- It is okay if you don't have a friend group the first week of school. Friend groups are constantly shifting, and even if you do have a friend group during the first week, you are more than likely to not be friends with them second semester. Friends the first week of school are all about proximity- you are mostly friends with the girl across the hall and maybe your roommate. It probably isn't whether you like the person or not.
- Participate in sports! If you are not athletic, you can join a thirds team. Seriously. Sports are so much fun, and you make a lot of friends through them.
- Make your room as homely as possible. It WILL make a difference on your mood.
- Don't buy a bunch of clothes if you don't really know your style yet. At my old school, I wore whatever shirt, jeans, and converse so I had no idea what I was going to wear at school. My parents bought me a ton of expensive clothing and I ended up wearing none of it. Slowly buy clothes throughout the year.
- There is a common misconception that you have to be BFF's with your roommate. Myth debunked: It's actually better if you're not. Even if your roommate is in your friend group freshman year, it's kind of hard to find yourself when the same person is everywhere 24/7. And it also makes you want to throttle them. Try to be in a different friend group or not super close with your roommate.
- Not gonna lie, hookup culture is very prominent at boarding school. But it's okay if you don't participate in it. Not saying that I haven't, but it's very easy to be swept up in whatever everyone else is doing. My list is mostly for girls because I am one, but be wary of upperclass boys. They generally want one thing, and it's not your striking academic record, insane artistic abilities or your athleticism. But if you want that too, then that's okay. Just know people's intentions.
- YOU ARE NOT A SENIOR. DO NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN SENIOR SPRING. It is very, very easy to look out your window and see a bunch of kids playing frisbee and spike ball. That is because they have no obligations and you have your physics exam next week! Do not ask them to throw the fris' because you will regret it when you don't know the formula to find the current of the circuit.
- Don't be afraid of upperclassmen or even sophomores! They don't bite, although they look like it. I went the whole year thinking that the sophomore across the hall hated me, and a couple of days ago as I walked out of my room I somehow slammed the door into my toe and yelled really loudly. She was exiting the room at the same time, and asked who it was that just yelled. I replied, warily, that is was me and she bust out laughing. She said something along the lines of, "Ha! Of course it was you. Literally you're the only person on this floor who would yell ow instead of f----!" We then proceeded to have a conversation about the pain of stubbing your toe all the way to the math and science building.
- BRING SO MANY T SHIRTS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR BLOUSES ARE. For some reason, I don't have any t-shirts and that fact really hinders my day to day experience. When I'm done with school and I don't have an after school commitment, I don't have anything to change into.
- Buy lots and lots and lots of gum. And fruit snacks. And ramen. Just bring a lot of food. Your grumbling stomach during study hall will thank you.
- If you can, join the track team. It is generally a random group of people that have nothing better to do during the spring, so you meet a lot of new faces and it's SO MUCH FUN! (Though the end of the season for me was last week, today we have a water fight and a slip and slide. It was so much fun and few seniors even cried.)
I can’t think of any more right now but I’m sure that there is more. It is currently 9:24 and I’m super tired, so forgive me if none of this makes sense. Hope I helped, and anyone can add tips if they want.
*LM = Lower Mid aka freshmen
*M = Mid aka sophomore