It has come to my attention (i.e. Mom texting me during marching band) that you're about to leave for Cal. Poly. I wish I was there to physically see you off and to give you a big hug. Sadly, as several thousand miles separate us, I can only offer this...somewhat hug. So there you go, love.
And another thing: here are some tips I thought may either make you laugh or help you to embarrass yourself less and keep you from being run over by crowds of students and/or cars.
1) Don't eat yellow snow (but you already knew that)
2) Cars here are NASTY. If you cross the street, make sure they're not even remotely close to you. If there within a radius of around 30 meters/yards, STOP AND WAIT FOR THEM TO PASS BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALWAYS STOP FOR YOU!!
2.5) As an off-shot of number 2, be aware of the road conditions. If the road is smooth and it's rainy, wait until the roads are clear before you cross. And watch out for the paint on the roads (the lane dividers/crosswalk stripe things) as they get slippery when wet. :/
2.75) An off-shoot of number 2...again. A lot of times college students Jay-walk. So too do pedestrians. Be smart where you Jay-walk and be aware of the traffic laws (and the presence of police officers) around you/in your area.
3) Talk with your roommate. Get to know her. Make sure you set some basic rules like no drinking or smoking in the dorm, ask before inviting a guest over, etc. etc. Trade phone numbers in case either of you get locked out of the room (because it really sucks) and so you can call her if you don't want to get fined by your RA.
4) Make friends with your RA. They're usually nice. Mine is. x) And make friends with your hall because you'll be spending a large chunk of your semester with/around them. Better to be on friendly terms than awkward ones. :/
5) In class, sit in the first row, especially in math. The professors probably won't have assigned seating, so go as far up as you can. Sometimes they won't talk loud (and to the board) so it's an advantage to sit in the first row. And you don't have any obstructions of freakishly-tall white guys' heads in your way blocking the professor's explanation of how to use the precise definition of a limit to prove that it exists. :/
6) When sitting in class, especially in a lecture, if you sit at the end of the row, be ready to haul butt out of there once the lecture's over. As an unspoken rule of impatient, tired, and bored college students, they usually clean up within a few minutes of the end of the lecture and get really antsy, especially if they have a class to go to right afterward. Sometimes all you can do is scoop up your notes, your notebook, and your bag and pencil and eraser and dash out of there (unless you're gonna talk to the professor - in that case, dash down to him). Because people won't wait for you - they'll walk over you or growl because you're holding them up.
7) Only do what you're comfortable doing. If you don't want to party, just say 'no'.
8) Don't be afraid to experiment. And no, not necessarily in that way. What I mean is that don't be afraid to try new things. Try a musical instrument or try a new way of organizing. (on that note, make sure you buy a planner with the times on it - it helps a lot) Don't try to skimp when it comes to classes. Go big or go home, as you told me once. Don't be afraid to try new ways of organization - buy different planners and see how it works for you. Use a big color-coded desk calendar or a picture one on your wall to remind you of due dates or classes.
9) Be careful of the food and water. Take it slow because the food and water here are crazy - and Pennsylvania has some pretty clean water. Cal's water isn't so good. Take little sips if you must but if you can, go to the dining hall and get water there (if you're lucky it won't be as chlorinated there) but try to rely on bottled water. The food in the mainland has a lot of spices that our stomach might not like so much. Be careful of rosemary and other weird things they put in their food. It's delicious, but take it only in moderation: if you have herb-crusted something, only eat a little bit of the herbs but not a lot or you'll get an upset stomach.
10) Be a ninja about laundry. Scope out the place when you move in and see how many washers and driers there are and how much they cost. Keep a stash of coins or if CalPoly is like Lehigh, your credit on your ID card ready. Explore your residence area - sometimes there's a hidden laundry room so if you play your cards right, you may not have to drag your clothes all the way over to the shared laundry room of the complex (but this may only be my problem). Get a feel about your schedule and check out the times on the washers and driers. It works best if you go between classes but don't leave your clothes in too long or people might pull them out and put them on the side so they could use the machine. Try to go during weekdays as it won't be as busy, but try to avoid nights and weekends, as people usually do their laundry then (I've seen people here starting their first load around 11p).
11) I don't know what else to add, but I do have this one last bit of advise. They always say that you'll miss home and you'll be homesick. Not always true. Yes, you'll miss home and you'll miss the weather, but you'll find that once you open up and to an extent forget about home, you'll find that you actually really like it there. Don't think about what other people say, be yourself. You'll find good friends in college that makes it worthwhile to be there. Research your counseling center on campus - sometimes they offer a really good program for homesickness and psychological help. If you feel you need to talk to someone, just go to them. :)
So I think that's all I got for now. I wish I could give you a hug and see you off to the airport.
So I wish you well, J. I know you'll do well in anything you put your mind to. I trust your judgment on the matter, too. Don't feel pressured to go - you can always change your mind. I will never think less of you - if anyone does, I will make them go boom for you. ;)
Luv ya hun,
~E
I'm so proud of you!
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