Tips to start your Freshman Year at Valparaiso University
Getting a good start on something is a great way to prepare yourself for whatever else is thrown at you. Let’s face it, life is unpredictable, and college is a whole new game you’re about to experience. In this blog, I am going to offer some tips to help get you started with your freshman year at Valparaiso University.
Confessions of a VU Senior
Going to college is a very exciting experience. In reality, it’s simply a transition between your days of high school and the day you finally begin your full time professional job.
You’re still taking classes, but now you’re on your own. You’re responsible for everything that goes on in your life…because your mom and dad aren’t with you anymore. College is a time period where you’ll end up maturing a lot.
With this big transition, you might feel a little lost at times. It’s a whole new world. To help you out, I’m going to offer various tips to help get you started with your freshman year at Valparaiso University.
Before School Starts
Get in contact with your roommate
Not too long before school starts, you’ll get an email from Valparaiso University that tells you which building you’re in, your room number, who your roommate is going to be, and how to contact them. It’s a very exciting email to open.
Don’t neglect it. After checking them out on Facebook, introduce yourself via text and find out who they are and what they’re interested in. For a good start to your freshman year, it’ll do you a tremendous favor if you get into communication with your future roommate right away.
You’ll want to coordinate who is bringing what to the dorm room, so that you can have the best experience possible.
School Has Begun
Get to your dorm room very early
Move-in day at Valparaiso University calls for a line of traffic that might make rush hour in Chicago look fast paced.
While beating traffic is one reason you’ll want to get to Valparaiso University early, the main reason, is rather a personal one.
If you get to your dorm room first, you get to pick the side of the room that is yours. When you walk into your room for the first time, inspect it accordingly, and then get right to setting it up.
Hang out with your roommate
Even if you don’t like them, they are a resource to open doors to people who you might like. After all, you’re going to be likely living with them all year. It’s a great idea to get everything started on the right foot.
Be with your roommate when freshman year first starts and explore. You’ll be more confident and adventurous roaming Valparaiso University’s campus when you have someone you know by your side.
Leave your door open
In the race to find friends amongst the new crowd of strangers, it’s a great idea to always leave your door open so people can introduce themselves and see what you have going on.
Don’t be reclusive when you first start your freshman year at Valparaiso University.
Wander your dorm
Similarly to leaving your door open, you’ll also want to be that person who explores their new dorm and greets the people they come across. If you find someone you click with, you might have just made a new friend.
Take this time to also find out where you’ll be doing laundry, printing papers, throwing out trash, playing games, etc.
Search for jobs
This is something almost all freshmen at Valparaiso University are oblivious to. While your mind is busy figuring out what the heck college is, the upperclassmen will steal all of the campus jobs. If you’re someone who wants to work while in school, apply during your first week at Valparaiso University. The jobs fill up extremely fast. Ask your RA to help you get started. They should direct you to Handshake, a site that will have listings and applications ready just for you.
Buying books
While you might want to try being as prepared as possible, I would recommend you do not buy your textbooks until you go to class at least once or a few times. Textbooks are very expensive, and in certain classes, you won’t actually have to buy the book(s) even though they’re listed as a course requirement on the Valparaiso University site.
Chances are, prolonging your book purchasing will end up saving you hundreds of dollars.
Check out sites such as Chegg or Amazon to find your books. Typically, they sell or rent their books out at a considerably cheaper price than the Valparaiso University bookstore.
Another secret is that the Valparaiso University bookstore will price match with Amazon or Barnes & Noble. If you want the cheap price, but the immediate gratification, utilize price matching to make your wallet heavier your freshman year at Valparaiso University.
Introduce yourself to your professors
One huge advantage of going to a small private school like Valparaiso University is that you’ll have the benefits of having a small classroom and the ability to know your professors on a personal level.
To help get you started your freshman year, explore the buildings your classes are going to be in and take a few moments to stop by your professors’ offices. A simple “Hi” and a smile might go a long way.
Eat in the dining areas during every meal
The dining areas at Valparaiso University are amongst the few places on campus you’ll have a chance to see everyone.
Eating-in instead of taking-out your food will expose you to hundreds of people daily. Take the necessity of eating and use it to help you familiarize and socialize with people on campus.
Get involved, or get a taste
At the start of the school year, clubs and other organizations go out on a mission to recruit as many Valparaiso University students as possible. As an incoming freshman, they want you.
Take advantage of this and visit the vast amount of booths that will be all over the Harre Union. Meet new people, find organizations that appeal to your interests, and enjoy the free food and other things they use to try and entice you.
Get your homework finished
Finish all of your homework by 9 PM. Getting your homework done early will tremendously reduce your stress as a freshman at Valparaiso University. End your night hanging out with friends or doing something you love.
Be open minded
You probably won’t have the same friend group in college as you did prior. Be open to going new places and trying new things. Don’t slow yourself down by being overly stubborn.
In college, you’ll be exposed to millions of ideas. To truly know who you are, you must experience things first hand.
It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon
As an incoming freshman, you’re entering a new chapter of your life in which you prepare yourself for your future.
College is a long journey, but it goes by fast. Getting started is the hardest part, but it can also be amongst the most memorable and enjoyable portions of college.
I hope my tips to starting your freshman year at Valparaiso University help you along the way.
Matt Jano Janesheski
