I really hope that someone has clued you in to this fact prior to this, but if not, here goes: If you’ve come to RIT looking for the typical “college experience,” you’re in for a very rough time. Seriously. Disillusion yourself of the notion that your experiences here will resemble anything you’ve seen depicted in popular media. You’ll find out for yourself soon enough, but allow me to lessen the blow for you: we’re just not that kind of school.

After the chaos of orientation week ends, you will still have some adjusting to do. No, we don’t have a football team. Yes, it gets very cold during the winter here. And you’re in good company if you look around this brick-walled fortress and find the architectural features leaving much to be desired. But you know what? These are all things that you can (and will) get used to.

I’m not telling you this to scare you — I give you this information with the kindest of intentions. Three years ago, I was in the same position you are in now. I know all too well how awkward it is to beg your floormates for rides off campus (see “Triple P: How to Mooch a Ride”). I remember how very, very confusing it is to try and decode RIT’s acronym alphabet soup (see “Major Student Organizations”). And I’m not even going to tell you how many times I got lost in the tunnels (see “RIT’s Tunnel System: A Deeper Look”) before I was finally able to get to the laundry room on my own.

Trust me: you’re not alone. We all went through this, too. And yeah, it kind of sucks. But things will get better, I promise. And to help you get through these first few painful weeks, the staff of Reporter has put together a special issue, full of the things we wish we had known when we were freshmen.

To get things started, here’s some advice: get involved in something. It doesn’t matter what that something is — pick any club or organization that suits your fancy. (Hint: Reporter is always hiring.) Just make sure to get involved with something that will force you to leave the confines of your room at least bi-weekly. Seriously, this is probably the most important piece of advice anyone can give you. Your happiness depends on it.

Best of luck!