[ImpalaHoarder]

So, I've settled into college, and including a bit of a splurge today I haven't really made any progress, but then, given exercise and the way I ate the rest of the time, I haven't done any harm, either. Tomorrow is the first day I have access to the gym's fancy strength training equipment, and my lack of strength has been making me sad of late. My question is: What can I do to not look stupid in front of the football players and fit people who will be at the gym? What are the typical newbie mistakes? I've never actually used strength equipment before, so this is completely new to me. Still, I think it would be valuable to incorporate it into my routine.

[KDuffer]

If you haven't done any strength training before, I would suggest starting with a personal training session (hopefully your school has one). Not everything is intuitive and form is very important if you are going to prevent injuries. Also, aside from knowing how to use the equipment, perhaps more important is the kind of programming you will use (i.e., what exercises, weights, frequency, etc.). That you can't know until you learn.

Also, as a general matter, I would suggest forgetting the fancy machines and starting with bodyweight exercises followed by dumbells and barbells. Freeweights will generally give you a much better exercise and it will use more of your muscles in a way that is functional (how a body part naturally moves).

[borntobefine]

Don't worry about looking "stupid" in front of the football players and others because they really do not matter.
Check with the gym to see if they have trainers there who can do an assessment and help you.
Also, you might want to check to see if your school offers one of those 1 credit conditioning classes.
Good luck. Also, consider checking google or something for a beginner's workout.