Lesson 1: Going, Arriving and Getting Around
Getting around
First thing to do it so get a campus map. Unless you are in the smallest university on the planet with great signs everywhere, you are going to need it your first week. Talk to people who look like they have been around a while to hear about hotspots and other useful things to know that they don’t put in brochures. Most important things to locate are eating establishments. Are you in a downtown campus? Usually the road next to the campus has cheaper food and nicer places. If you are in the middle of nowhere and it takes a bus ride to get to a decent place, compare prices and quality between the different facilities on campus. Granted that they are all run by a central company the difference in price and the person preparing your meal can still make a big difference.
By this time you should know your schedule, don’t wait until the first day of class to find the appropriate room. Actually go to the appropriate buildings in advance and figure out where to go. The typical old lime-stone building can be a maze at times, and being a little late for class might be ok, being very late is just embarrassing.
If you are on a large campus consider getting a bike or roller blades. The latter can be a bit unhandy because you need to carry them around all day. A bike can be useful to get to class fast or home even faster! Even if you are in a cold region you most likely will be able to use a bike for a large part of the year. Even if there is snow most roads should be snow free and as long as you do not fall and injure yourself, getting to the right location in less time means less time out in the cold.
Talk to senior students to find out the hotspots. Also walk around campus yourself to find out the hidden nooks and corners you did not know about yet. Some people find it very hard to concentrate in their dorm, but they do not like to study in a library either. It is important to find out where your favorite spots could be, whether that is for studying or going out. Don’t be shy and take a campus tour if they are offered, talk to the tour guide (often a student himself) to get some really good tips that go beyond “here is lecture hall x.”
As soon as you know who your professors are, find out their office location and office hours. Be religious when it comes to office hours and do not bother a prof right before his lecture unless if they state to be ok with that. Most professors lock themselves in their office and prepare for the upcoming class, at those times they can be quite inapproachable. Be respectful of their space and schedule and they are more likely to help you out when you need them. Important at this stage is to just know where their office is and at which times their door is open. If a professor does not let you know about the above in the first lecture do not hesitate to ask them if they hold office hours, likely he/she just forgot to mention it.
