One week down, four weeks (minus one week) to go....

The first week of college. Where to start? Whirlwind is not even strong enough to describe this experience... it was more like a maelstrom. From the buzz of my alarm clock on move-in day until... basically right now (when I finally feel a bit of routine forming,) everything is a blur. Perhaps you know what I'm talking about, but if you haven't started college yet, I'm going to sum it up in three pieces of advice that I walked out of this experience with.

1. Accept some chaos. Accept that the move-in time, the first few days, and the first week will be hectic as heck. But don't let it stress you out. Just keep trucking through these first few days with the knowledge that everything will calm down soon.
2. Make yourself at home. One of the most important things I did was to wear myself out on move-in day taking care of all the little details. Being really settled in made the first week feel so much more comfortable.
3. Stay on top of things. Find your classes ahead of time. Get your books as soon as you know you need them. Leave plenty of time to get places. Don't fall off your bike trying to get back onto the sidewalk after riding through the grass (yes, I'm speaking from personal experience).

I've been considering how I'm going to work this blog into my everyday life at CU, and wanted to share these thoughts with you, my mysterious audience. I'm currently planning on writing every week, except in extreme occasions like mid-terms or holidays (or illness, which is looking increasingly likely and scary!) I hope to share some sort of anecdote from the week - a lesson I learned, a mistake I made, something you might find interesting. If you're a current CU student - I know some of you are out there - and you have anything similar that you think is interesting and are willing to share, please let me know! This is about the experience of being a freshman at CU, but I'm definitely not going to experience everything! Furthermore, if you have any college anecdotes, whether you've graduated or are just a few years in, send 'em my way!

On that note, I have one lesson to share from this past week. When classes started, I was enrolled in Physics 1230: the science of light and color for non-majors. This class was recommended to me as a way to cross one science requirement off the list, and as a class that many film students take and enjoy. I was originally not planning on taking a science course my first semester - it's a subject I find a bit more difficult - and was having fun looking through the expansive list of classes based on literature or history. However, my registration time rolled around and none of the classes I was interested in were available. Physics 1230 was, so voila.

After only two sessions of this class, it became abundantly clear that it wasn't right for me. This was due to a variety of reasons that I won't go into... but I was suddenly facing a choice. Do I stay or do I go? I was used to such a limited mindset from high school, where the possibilities for classes were few and the opportunity to switch into a desired course far between. Then it hit me, this is college! This is what add/drop days are for! So I started surfing the course catalog, with the box "only show open classes" firmly checked. I happened across a Masterpieces of British Literature class with 10 free spots, at a time that fit my schedule. Suffice it to say, I'm now happily getting settled into a class that suits me much better than physics would have.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that, CU Students, you still have time! The add deadline is September 2, so don't do what I almost did and get stuck in a class that isn't have been right for you. And if you're happily settled, then all I can say is to be sure to keep this in mind for the future!

Feel free to leave me comments if you have anything to add, your own stories or advice, or just want to say hi!

Cheers :)

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