As we conclude that last magical week of August, when pens and minds once again flow like the number of traffic violations in parking services, I am filled with the nostalgic memory of my freshman experience.
There I was, loaded down in front of Schmidt-Wilson (yes, I was one of those honors kids) with my dorm survival kit: fungi-fighting flip-flops, various high school memoirs, microwave for instantaneous gourmet, bedding to sooth my poorly constructed bunk bed of terror, etc.
How na+â-»ve I was. How filled with the humility in the face of the unknown. How many minutes did I stand in front of my dorm in dumbstruck-freshmen awe? That's debatable, but definitely not the point.
The point is that we were all once in the shoes of the thousands of freshmen who are currently rampaging through campus. Not only do they deserve our patience and respect, but maybe even some subconscious envy. When was the last time you had a thousand dollars in your pocket after benefiting from the mother of all mysteries, the Open House? It's in the way they walk, that carefree, it's-okay-for-me-to-not-know-what-the-hell-I'm-doing-because-I'm-just-a-freshman look. A time when it's acceptable to not know who or where you are.
Many of us, in our upper-classmen glory, often forget to slip back into our former idealistic freshman selves. With our valedictorian's inspirational speech still ringing in our ears, we once strode onto Ball State's campus thinking about actualizing our hopes and dreams. Though few of us knew exactly the name of our chosen career, it mattered little. There was no question to our success; it was simply a reality that was waiting to be grasped. That inspiration and belief serves today's freshmen well and can remind the rest of us that such a mindset still exists.
But before I haphazardly encourage all freshmen to fail their courses and remain freshmen forever, let me highlight a few items that are definitely considered drawbacks in the hunky-dory life of a first-year.
1. If you are overly attached to your vehicle, get over it. It will be deposited in the deadly arena of gravel and dust (a.k.a. "the Stadium") for the remainder of the year.
2. Anal R.A.'s can and do happen. Learn to play the game and deal with it.
3. Communal bathrooms are just that, communal. If you can't bond with others during your various bathroom activities, learn to love your natural odor.
4. If you're going to party at Ball State, be prepared for the consequences: wasted hours of on-line, video-automated alcohol prevention classes and pseudo-AA meetings. Been there, done that. Need I say more?
5. Hold on to your collegiate version of an elementary nametag. Losing your Ball State I.D. costs you time and money.
6. If you hate your roommate, get out while you still can. It will not get any better.
Besides the list above, freshmen are in for a pretty exciting year, full of lessons on freedom and newly found independence. As I strike forward this year, bearing the proud title of "sophomore," leaving the post of "freshman" behind forever, I know the truth: I want to remain a freshman at heart forever. We all should.
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