So you've just arrived in Ann Arbor. Expectations are high, and so is anxiety. You are about to begin the greatest (we hope) four years of your life. College is a totally different ball game then high school, though, and most seniors at U-M barely recognize (and most likely regret) their actions as ignorant freshmen. Especially during Welcome Week, most upperclassmen instantly spot and incessantly browbeat the na've freshmen that flood campus. By following these simple guidelines, you will appear to be anything but a freshman.
• Know your way around campus. Nothing is more embarrassing to a freshman than needing to ask other students or other University personnel for directions in Ann Arbor. If you have free time, especially during your summer orientation, it is always a good idea to simply walk and explore campus. Don't know where the CCRB is? It's better to ask a local when you are totally unfamiliar with the city during orientation instead of asking an inebriated upperclassman during Welcome Week. Walking around town glancing at a map like a tourist will not only be embarrassing in the fall, but a major problem when you're already fifteen minutes late for class.
• Avoid traveling in large groups. Nothing screams "I'm a freshman!" more than seeing a group of ten friends traveling from the dorms to parties during Welcome Week. While you will most likely want to socialize and get to know your new neighbors after your parents leave campus, it is simply a poor decision to decide to trek to a fraternity party with ten or fifteen of your newest friends. Instead of walking down State Street at 10 P.M. in a pack of freshmen, go to that party with only two or three friends. You will blend into the crowd of partygoers, and avoid the scrutiny that typical freshmen experience during Welcome Week.
• Don't buy into the textbook rush. As soon as freshmen arrive on campus, most immediately decide to purchase their textbooks at the nearest bookstore. Instead of accepting the excessive book prices on campus, research textbook prices online or even see if an upperclassman is selling their old books. While there have been attempts to combat the elevated costs of books at campus bookstores, not much progress has been made, so it's in your best interest to use every resource to find the best deal. Plus, you may not need some of the books on the professor's syllabus, so be patient in your book search.
Following these basic strategies will allow you to blend into the student population, appearing far more acclimated than you actually are. Appearances aren't everything of course, but they can't hurt when you're still a freshman.
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