So maybe you’re terrified of orientation week. Maybe large social gatherings aren’t your cup of tea. Maybe you’re coming to frosh with the image from movies of an all-out drinking and pranking fest. Maybe being forced into cheering for school spirit makes you question your free will.
Yet family and friends are telling you to sign up anyway, to meet new people. And in a way, they’re right—frosh is the all-important event designed to help you meet the people who will get you through your first year.
The problem is that not everyone socializes the same way, and frosh is a blanket, one-size-fits-all attempt to target the majority.
But you can make the most of “one-size-fits-all” frosh week. Here are a few ideas.
1. Pick at least one event you are looking forward to and make sure you go to it. Maybe it’s the concert, beach day, or one specific lecture or event. Whatever it might be, remember there is one totally awesome thing about frosh week, and there’s no way you’re going to miss it.
2. Explore. Resist the temptation to stay cooped up in your room, and at the very least, explore campus and everything around it. Take advantage of the time before classes start to learn all the campus buildings. Walk along the canal to the arboretum or down to Bank Street and find a favourite store or café. Do all the tourist stuff downtown. Discover your new home.
3. Your relationship with your floor will probably be love-hate, so put your best foot forward now and do something with your floor, or even a friend’s floor. Eat supper together or decorate your frosh shirts together. Go out in the city together or explore campus. Even if you’re initially reluctant, participate in the community.
4. Show off your colours—what do you love? Frosh events are loud and crowded and it’s hard to single out individuals. So now’s the time to pull out those fandom t-shirts, band tour shirts, and anything else you wear to show pride in.
5. Finding people who share your interests is a lot easier than you think. Brave the crowds and go to club day and find a university group with the same interests as you. Sign up for at least one thing. I guarantee your crowd is out there somewhere.
In the end, if all hope is lost, you can live by the true frosh motto: free stuff is good stuff. Stay safe, keep an open mind, and make the most of it!
