I'm going to college in 2 months, and I'm just a nervous wreck...There's so many forms to fill out (that I only half understand and my parents don't understand at all), and I'm completely lost on class signups at the moment (2 places are telling me different things about my general ed requirements D: )....and then there's the one concern stuck at the back of my head : FOOD!!@!
My housing plan includes a mandatory $3000 dining plan, and after looking at meal options there, much of the food seems mayo-laden, oil/butter-lathered, or fried with the exception of the salad bar. I don't even know how I'm going to deal with that. dsajkdhasjkdhak How do people deal with this? I still have 2 months to go, and I'm in complete panic mode.
Last edited by Elsewhere is Fine; 08-02-2012 at 04:57 AM.
First off, take some deep breaths. If your schedule isn't sorted out, it not the end of the world...most schools have about a 2 week window to solidify classes. My school called it add/drop, and I don't think that I know ANYONE who got through 4+ years of college without utilizing that period to change their schedule to better fit their major requirements/sanity.
As for food, well, unfortunately that varies from school to school. If there's a salad bar, that's always a plus. For everything else, keep in mind that a little bit of a "bad" food isn't going to kill you...just practice moderation. Get a nice full plate of salad first then go back to peruse the other less healthy offerings for your protein. My school had a vegetarian/vegan area in each dining commons where most things were veggie-based and generally were prepared in a more healthy way. Try seeing if your school has that.
Also, a lot of schools offer free or reduced-rate gym services to students. I know that right now the last thing you want to think about is trying to fit gym time into your busy schedule, but believe me...after you've been there a little bit you'll fall into a groove and get used to things enough that you'll be able to make time for it.
Now try your best to calm down, step away from your computer, and go spend some time with your friends and family. That was the hard part for me...I made friends almost immediately (yay marching band!) but my high school friends were all in different states hours away. I hate pictures, so I didn't take many before leaving then sat there kicking myself when my room mate plastered her wall with photos and I had none.
Last edited by Hotaruchan; 08-02-2012 at 07:40 AM.
Don't worry, you just need a bit of help. That is why you have an academic adviser! Even if you don't have one specifically assigned to you or if you haven't met them yet, you should call the advising center for an appointment and they'll walk you through all the things you need to know and answer all your questions.
As far as food goes, you're just going to have to be a bit more creative and do a bit more research. Don't run for the things that are made in bulk- they're probably bad for you. Most college dining rooms have stations where you watch the person make your food- eg a guy that makes your eggs in the morning, someone who makes your sandwich, etc. Then you can help them make good choices for your food. Just take some time to look at the different cafeteria options available to you and pick from there.
It's all a bit new right now, but you're going to learn this stuff before you know it. You'll probably know those cafeterias better than anyone. Just don't panic!
I'm a faculty member at a college, and you're getting some great advice!!
Contact an advising center, orientation or registrar's office for information on geneds... and know that there are a lot of resources you may not know about right now. Keep yourself open to lots of options! And try to relax, you'll figure it out!
Also, it's amazing how helpful making upperclassmen friends can be. They've had to jump through the hoops already, so (particularly if they're in the same field as you) they might have a better understanding than even some of the advisers. The advisers are trained in general, but there are occasionally things in specific majors that they won't have encountered. As a freshman you might not even have a major yet, so they should definitely be able to direct you through your gen-eds, but it's something to consider for the future.
Putting aside the jealousy that you have two months left before university starts (mine starts in less than two weeks!), I just wanted to add to all the great advice you've gotten in saying this:
I'm a third year chemistry major, and not having your classes set to the T is definitely not a bad thing. Yes, you may not get exactly the classes you want at a late date, but it'll work out. Almost every semester has led to me changing my classes after the semester starts because of scheduling conflicts with work (I work a full-time job while taking full-time classes), and I was never behind or left out of anything because of it.
I would say that you should find out who your advisor is and check with them personally about your gen-ed requirements. At my university, our advisors are faculty members from our major, so they know exactly what we need.
You've already gotten all the good advice so I'll just add: Join the Facebook group of incoming freshman at your college. You'll see that 90% of the posts are related to the same kinds of issues you're worried about. You'll get some answers, some commiseration, and make some new friends before you get to campus.
Thank you everyone for the replies. I am feeling a little bit calmer now.
@Hotaru - Being able to drop/add classes will definitely help. That's a bit of a relief. I think I should take some pictures w/ my family after all...I tend to shy away from cameras too, but I definitely do want some to keep.
@kelly - I didn't know that about cafeterias! That'll definitely help out.
@Heather & Lacey - I don't get an appointment w/ my advisor until the end of august, but it sounds like they'll be able to sort my schedule out.
@ mahtha - xD I just joined today. Thx!
I was also going to suggest the vegetarian/vegan section of the dining hall. There were almost always tasty/low cal selections when I was in college and that was 20 years ago!
Have fun at college. I know it's a cliche and people say it all the time, but it's the easiest time in your life to make friends, the kind of friends that are bridesmaids at your wedding and become lifelong friends. It's much much harder to make those kind of powerful connections later in life.
I feel so lost w/ college coming up...
much of the food seems mayo-laden, oil/butter-lathered, or fried with the exception of the salad bar. I don't even know how I'm going to deal with that. dsajkdhasjkdhak How do people deal with this? I still have 2 months to go, and I'm in complete panic mode. 
I am feeling a little bit calmer now.
