When I first came to Hendrix, I wish I had known...
...that you don't have to know exactly what you want to do after college and you shouldn't worry about choosing a major until you take enough classes to find where your true academic interests lie. So many students come to Hendrix with a definite career goal and specific major in mind, but most end up changing their minds and their major!
…to bring rainboots!
...that upperclassmen are genuine and should not be feared; that Pizza Wars (an Orientation event) was going to have an important, lasting effect and should be taken very seriously; that Axciom Hall is open all night and is a quiet, cozy place to study; and what Shirttails was about and what an awesome time is was going to be.
...don't be afraid to smile a lot and meet everyone. They likely know just as few people as you do!
...how different it was from high school, how much fun I was going to have, and how many cool and interesting people I was going to meet.
...that the birthday serenade from the cafeteria ladies is totally worth the cake that comes along with it!
...how resourceful the Academic Support Services Department (located in the Student Life and Technology Center) is. They are glad to steer you in the right path toward academic success at Hendrix, whether that be by finding a language tutor for you or scheduling you for an informational seminar on how to use Microsoft PowerPoint!
...how to use the WOK, how to iron, how important sleep really is, how to study, my limits, that community showers really weren't that bad, how to win friends and influence people, and how much I like it here.
...how easy it is to spend money your first semester and that one should be maybe a bit more frugal than I was.
...that Orientation wasn't lame.
...really cool ways to arrange the furniture in my room; that breakfast really is the best meal in the cafe and worth getting up for; and of course that Hendrix is the best place to be!
...to not buy all those organizational things for my room since I never used them, that your roommate does not have to be your best friend, and that everyone else is scared/excited/freaked out/homesick/nervous too.
...to take pictures everywhere I went. So much happened my first year at Hendrix, I wish I had pictures to remember it all.
...that MCREY and FAUSE were not actual building names, that it was OK to not have chosen a career path in the first month (or couple of years), that Shirttails was going to be so incredible (win or lose), and that you can actually create pretty awesome dishes in the caf instead of eating the normal food.