Looking up at the buildings surrounding you, I know what you are thinking: It’s so big and scary.
But the truth is…well…now, come to think of it, the U is kind of big and scary.
And it is so hard to find your way around.
And once you park your car, it’ll take a couple of hours to just find the right lot.
And even if you know where you’ve parked it, you won’t be able to get there because of road construction.
And once you successfully locate the lot, and your car in it, you’ll be so late to your next class that the professor will definitely remember your face, especially come finals time.
Now, what you can do is give back your student ID card, get a tuition refund and bid farewell to higher education and settle for a fulfilling life of flipping burgers and scrubbing the bathroom at McDonald’s.
Or, you can follow this ultimate guide to leaving your newcomer status behind and look forward to a great college experience.
With this kind of help, your confused and intimidated stare that screams, “I’m new!” will immediately vanish from your face.
The only way to overcome the awkward stage is to be familiar with the territory.
Now I don’t suggest moving into the U-although that is a good, however expensive, idea-but rather getting involved in the U.
Get out there and meet new people.The U offers so many clubs, organizations and classes that there is sure to be a winner in there for just about anyone.
By getting involved, you are bound to meet some really interesting people.
You would not believe the people you would meet here at The Chronicle-interesting does not even begin to describe them.
The Associated Students of the University of Utah provides many services and activities, ranging from concerts to lectures. You can also get involved in student government, university representation and local politics.
The Bennion Community Service Center provides hundreds of service opportunities, on and off campus.
If you are into greek life, there are six sororities and eight fraternities on campus.
There are also more than 200 active student organizations on campus. To become involved, check out bulletin boards, The Daily Utah Chronicle or drop by ASUU.
For sporty types, there are more than 70 coed intramural sports, a nine-hole golf course and the Outdoor Recreation Programs. The Einar Neilson Field House is complete with an indoor track, five tennis courts, 18 handball courts, a weight room, fitness equipment, whirlpools and saunas, and the admission is free for students.
Now that you have started meeting other students, and you don’t sit by yourself in the Union anymore (Remember high school?), there are a couple of other things that might help the process of adjusting.
One day down the road you’re going to need some major backup, so it is always smart to meet someone of, um, bigger influence than your own.
And that doesn’t just mean kissing butt, but it would be beneficial to get yourself out there and mingle with the professors, advisers or anyone else that knows more than you and could be your guiding light through your college experience.
Even getting friendly with a junior is beneficial because they’ve been through what you are facing right now and could probably give you a few words of advice.
Make sure to keep the black belt ninja you meet in June on speed dial-that guy is so useful.
Also, to keep in touch and stay on top of things, set up your U e-mail account at https://nid.utah.edu/.
And to make the whole parking dilemma easier, buy a parking pass at the Commuter Services office.
Once you’re already into your first semester, it is a good idea to set up an appointment with University College advisers or your department for next semester’s schedule and run a degree audit report at www.acs.utah.edu/prod/bin/student to track your scholastic progress.
Get familiar with the U terminology. And I don’t mean Utah slang.
It’s important to know college terms, such as academic plan, academic program and the dreaded academic sub-plan. They all may sound the same, but they have different meanings.
You want to be able to understand when your adviser tells you that you cannot graduate on time in your wanted academic sub plan because you took audit classes-courses numbered 0001 0999-and don’t have enough credit hours.
Jerks.
And in the end, remember to relax and let yourself make mistakes fit for a newcomer.
There are thousands of other newcomers out there, too busy finding their own cars to even notice you jumping around from lot to lot.