So, you’ve made it to college and now have a world of amazing courses at your fingertips — exciting! While coming to college and adjusting to new, rigorous classes is scary, being a first-year student gives you so much freedom to explore. Coming from someone who had no clue what she wanted to study in college and was overwhelmed by all of the course options, if there’s any time to take a random class, challenge yourself, or bomb a course, it’s your first year. 

If you knew me during my first year, you probably would’ve heard me claim that I was majoring in just about every program WashU offers at a different point in time. I did this for a couple of reasons. The first is that I loved so many of the classes I took in my first year that I could’ve seen myself taking more classes in every single department.

Welcome to WashU! This article is a primer for incoming first-years to make the most of their academic experience here.

You are beginning your college journey during a period marked by uncertainty, fear, anger, and a sense of helplessness — a reality shared by students who started in recent years amid events like the first election of President Donald Trump, the pandemic, and nationwide protests met with force on college campuses.

Starting college may be the first time your sense of self feels truly challenged, but understanding who you are is a lifelong task.

Don’t worry, we are here to help. If you’re interested in shaking the sheets in college, we can guide you through the common pitfalls that come with making sweet sweet love away from home. If you have no interest in having sex at this point in your life, that is also totally normal!

So if you don’t meet “the one” during Bear Beginnings, remember that there is so much love coming straight towards you.

New students: now that you are familiar with our recent past, it is up to you to decide our future. I cannot overstate how extraordinary that power is.

Coming into WashU last fall, I was devoutly opposed to being on the pre-medical school track. I was intimidated by it.

For those new on campus (or even upperclassmen that have never bothered to learn), the dozens of acronyms thrown around at Washington University can be daunting.