What I wish I had known my first year: Be open-minded about roommates

There are a number of things I wish I would have known before coming to BGSU as a sophomore transfer student.

Most simply, bring an umbrella. One of my earliest memories was showing up to my second day of classes drenched and sitting in a pool of rung-out rainwater. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience and I definitely wished someone would have reminded me to bring an umbrella!

On a serious note, I would encourage students to be open-minded and flexible with your new roommates. I came to BGSU without knowing anyone besides one of my good friends from high school. Although he certainly provided a good safety net for me, I was still very nervous about meeting new people and being introduced to the four new roommates that were assigned to our suite in Founders.

As a result, I shut them off and wasn’t very open to getting to know them. Not surprisingly the first couple of weeks were incredibly awkward, and they were not nearly as much fun as I had anticipated. I can remember at one point telling my good friend from high school that I may transfer back home at the end of semester. However, after some encouragement from my parents, I finally opened up to my roommates and broke down a lot of those barriers that made the first few weeks uncomfortable.

Soon all of us were great friends and spent a lot of our free time together. Everything seemed to be better and I was truly enjoying my time here. In fact, almost two years later we remain in good contact and find time to hang out.

Besides opening up a vast array of academic opportunities, college also gives you a great chance expand your social networks and meet friends that may last a lifetime. Fortunately I was able to realize that after the first few weeks, but I certainly wish someone would have told me that earlier.

Another practical piece of advice is to consult all necessary sources possible before buying your books. Books are incredibly expensive, but there are a number of ways to save an incredible amount of money. Whether you are paying for college yourself or are getting assistance from your parents, saving money on books allows you to spend it on something much more exciting such as the movies, food, etc.

One of the most useful resources I have utilized is Chegg and Amazon. Both sites make buying and renting books incredibly easy and affordable. For example, last semester my estimated cost of books was around $800 but I only ended up actually spending $350!

In addition to utilizing websites such as Chegg and Amazon, I would also encourage students to check the University library and local Bowling Green library to see if they hold any copies. Although you may not be able to hold the book the entire semester, overdue charges fall far short of the cost of the book.

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