For many first-year students, leaving home to attend a big university can be spine tingling, nerve racking or nostalgia invoking. Some cannot wait to escape their drama-infused friend group or parents' control while others cringe at the thought of departing from a place so comforting and familiar. Wherever on the college ""can't wait"" continuum you find yourself, the concept of ""home"" will inevitably change, and the best thing to do is to let it happen.
Luckily enough you are now able to call Madison your home. Take a prideful look at that 53706 address, and instead of focusing solely on your hometown departure concentrate on making UW-Madison home sweet home.
They say home is where the heart is. The fact is that UW-Madison proves to be hard academically and hardcore party wise, Wisconsin's politically active and groundbreaking capital, home to the eclectic shopping and dining hub of State Street that is situated between two lakes, offering beauty and recreation, is more than enough to capture any heart.
Likely, these are some of the same facts that sparked your fancy in the first place. But physically faced with all of this incredibility, you might be incredulous as to how to adapt to this new home and accept that you truly belong on such an amazing campus. How will you dominate this domain and make this college town your new hometown?
First, you need to familiarize yourself with the some of the ABC's of UW, like Alvarez, Babcock and College Library. Barry Alvarez is the legendary Badger football coach turned Athletic Director, and the general consensus is that B.A. is Bad Ass. Babcock is the oldest functioning university dairy plant and store that produces delicious dairy products for campus, most notably its ice cream. Trust me, locally inspired flavors and homegrown products just taste better, like the red ice cream with chocolate peanut butter footballs, coined ""Jump Around"", that is only available during football season. C, for Helen C. White College Library, is a sociable library open 24 hours during weekdays, and gives procrastinators up late the chance to view the sun rising over Lake Mendota.
After the home base is established, extend your efforts to getting involved on campus. Student organizations are a great way to get involved, but be wary of joining forces too soon. The first few weeks of school are prime time for recruiting, so make sure you know what and how much you are committing. If you have not been swept up by a student org, but think that might be the best opportunity for you, the Student Org Fair hosts all of the organizations in one informative place.
However, there are many more ways to get involved than just joining a student organization. Reading the campus newspapers, such as The Daily Cardinal, is the absolute best way to know what's going on around campus, understand issues affecting you from the Capitol building to Bascom Hall (the historic building that houses classrooms and Chancellor Biddy Martin's office) and stay up to date on current events. The newspapers are located throughout campus, many in dorms, and are free to pick up. Your fellow students write all of the stories, so the flavor of UW-Madison is easily reflected in the paper's words. Many professors are also pleased wh en students can contribute to class discussions based on local events or national news.
As you can tell from observing Madison, it is beautiful, fun, unique and now it is yours. Embrace the city, the school and the feel of college by learning from new experiences, actively creating a comforting space, and getting involved in any way that you know how.
Melissa Grau is a sophomore intending to major in secondary
education and communication arts. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
