Monday, September 24, 2018

What I Wish I Knew When I Was a Freshman

This year has been consumed by the move of 2018. Over the last six months I have spent a great majority of my life packing, purging, moving, and now unpacking and purging again. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. Seriously, moving stinks. But, occasionally I have stumbled across a gem or two that is worth sharing, and this is one of them. 

I found a printout of "what I wish I knew when I was a freshmen." I have no idea where this came from, or who sent it to me, but I can tell it was printed on 9/4/2001. If you know where this originated from, please let me know so that I can give them credit for it; because it's pretty darn amazing. So, here it is! Oh, and if you're going to the ND vs. Stanford game this Saturday, pack your GREEN! 

What I wish I knew when I was a freshmen at Notre Dame ...

  • A National Championship in football was not included in my tuition payment.
  • A National Championship in football was also not included in my room and board.
  • Access to the University of Notre Dame library was included in my tuition payment.
  • Bookstore Basketball is the biggest event of the spring semester, bar none.
  • Four years could seem like four months.
  • The "Notre Dame Connection" we hear so much about in the job world works for graduates from outside of the College of Business, as well. It just takes longer.
  • Every freshmen deserves a chance to start fresh, no matter what people thought of them in high school.
  • In The Observer, the appearance of 53 instances of misspelling or poor grammar in a single issue results in the editor-in-chief remarking, "Hey gang, nice job today!"
  • No matter how bad it looks outside, Club 23's juke box makes it one of the coolest bars in South Bend.
  • I'll never be in this place, with so many talented, good people, again in my life. Ever.
  • That kid down the hall that I didn't talk to freshman year could end up being a life-long friend.
  • Members of the opposite sex like you for reasons you can't quite comprehend. And you never get why they hate you, either. 
  • US Military Prisons have barracks with better facilities than Campus View Apartments.
  • You don't have to get hammered and hook-up to have a good time at an SYR.
  • I shouldn't have turned down that hot chick who asked me out because I was too lazy to walk to Pangborn from North Quad to pick her up.
  • Giggling in class every time someone says "depends," "moist," or "member" is not a good idea.
  • There are some members of the administration who listen to and are excited by great ideas from students, and who do all they can to help them implement those ideas.
  • Taking the chance to study abroad could change your life.
  • Some of the coolest, hippest, most interesting music available today is found on WVFI, not on 92.9 FM, South Bend.
  • With just a little ingenuity, open-mindedness, and creativity, there are some great date restaurants in South Bend.
  • The conversations one has late night with one's roommates and friends are a large part of what matters to you down the line. They build friendships, they help you learn, and they're a great place to share ideas. Note: If all you and your friends talk about late night is what might have happened with Led Zeppelin if John Bonham hadn't died, find new friends. 
  • Feeling a little homesick is natural.
  • There are many things more important than grades.
  • There are many things more important than getting hammered.
  • The guys down the hall who appear to know everything sometimes know almost nothing that matters.
  • Skipping class to play video games is rarely a good idea.
  • Skipping class to toss a baseball around on the first nice day of spring is often a good idea.
  • Going to church, even though my parents aren't making me anymore, is a good idea most of the time.
I hope you enjoyed that little blast from the past. And now, back to unpacking I go! 

Cheers & GO IRISH! 

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