Back to School

[I have one more post about Acadia, but I actually am taking a quick break to bring you these short messages (see end of first Acadia post for reference).]

With students across the country returning to various learning establishments, I thought I would offer some thoughts about preparing for my second year of college. Note that any advice that I give should be read as a game of Two Truths and a Lie (or, more accurately, Seventeen Random Things in My Head and Maybe Something Vaguely Useful) and should be taken with a saltshaker. With that established, here are my very own Back to School tips.

Packing:
1. Bring extra socks. When I was applying to be a Cornell blogger, I was asked to write about my least favorite thing about Cornell.  I could have written about the frequently broken washers in the unfinished basement laundry room in my freshman dorm. Or engineers having to take English classes (kidding; I know learning to write good is important). Instead, I wrote about hiking in the rain three-quarters of a mile across campus to get to the engineering quad. Because sitting through lecture with wet socks is just that miserable.
2. Don’t forget your ID. On a similar trend of thought, try not to leave any chargers, necessary forms of identification, your toothbrush, or your favorite stuffed animal at home.

Physical preparation:
3. Work on your pencil grip. Whether your hand spent the summer curled around a computer mouse in your basement or a slightly illegal drink sipped slowly on a Caribbean beach, your fingers may have trouble forming the proper grip for things like writing. Muscle memory will eventually kick in, but help yourself out a little and practice making your o’s round. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, work on your cursive that you haven’t used since third grade.
4. Remind your body what weather at your college feels like. For example, Cornell students should strap on a backpack filled with ten pound weights and walk to work at a grocery store in snow boots and a trench coat, no matter the weather. They should work alternate days in the freezer section restocking milk and in the bakery loading and unloading the oven. While at work, wear a t-shirt, pants, and sneakers at all times. If frostbite is a danger, put on a sweatshirt.

Mental preparation:
5. Refresh your memory on what things like math and reading are. Start slowly, with simple addition facts and Dr. Seuss books, and work your way up to algebra and the middle school summer reading list.

Administrative details:
6. Now would be a good time to remind yourself when you’re returning to campus, when the dining halls will be open and/or how you’re going to feed yourself, and that you’re actually signed up for all the classes you should be.

And lastly:
7. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Your years of three month long summers are most likely numbered.