<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Even though I am just settling into school and haven&amp;#039;t even finished hanging pictures in my room (or successfully organized my clothes), I have started gathering a few college (and life lessons.) They might not be completely profound but it&amp;#039;s only a few weeks in after all!   Morning hikes with Josie, John, and Jaimie!! Things I have learned from my first few weeks of college:  It is not good to be late to your 10 am morning class because you were online shopping the night before.  Chances are there will be a guy who when moving to college decides to bring his bass, speakers, and bongo drums. He will also choose to play very loudly with his door open. Appreciate his talent for a second and then ask him to close his door...he will.  If you hail from the flat lands of the beach and are going to school in the mountains, the stairs and hills will trip you up....literally.  Creating a list of banned (or headphone only) music will save yours and your roommate&amp;#039;s ears.  Christian is the best RA.  Drink coffee, drink espresso, drink coffee...and drink more espresso. Waking up a few hours early for a morning hike and a cup of hot chocolate is completely worth the small sacrifice of sleep.  A raincoat is a crucial part of your wardrobe in Boone, NC.  When panicking due to a tech problem with installing your printer, knocking on a random door simply because there is a sign that states &amp;#039;our door is always open&amp;#039; is probably not the most appropriate thing. They are not your personal tech support and most likely will not know how to fix your printer.  There are nice guys at college... especially the ones that walk you from your on campus job at four in the morning even if it means they have to climb extra stairs.  There are guys at college you should avoid. You&amp;#039;ll know.  Best place to study? In a hammock along the parkway.  &amp;#039;Hammocking&amp;#039; is a verb when you are an ASU student.  Interrupted coffee dates with your best friend due to schoolwork are completely acceptable. She understands and has a few papers to write too.   Reading for classes is unavoidable and the feeling once you complete your daily to do list? Oh bliss... Appalachian State University, despite all the stairs and the obvious tripping issues, is a glorious campus.  Receiving snail mail in college is about as exciting as Christmas morning.  If you fall in front of a crowd of people the appropriate response is to collapse in a fit of laughter. If your friend falls in front of a crowd of people the appropriate response is to ask if she is okay while collapsing in fits of laughter.  Sometimes having a girl&amp;#039;s night at your friend&amp;#039;s apartment will save your sanity.  The Great Campus Ministry Search of 2010 can be stressful but is worth every minute.  You will find people that share your musical love of the Avett Brothers and are able to have impromptu jam sessions with strangers. Normal and a new habit? I hope so.  If you are missing Zambia so fiercely when in a class or just sitting around engaging in college life, take a deep breath. God has a purpose for where we all are in each moment.  Chacos, tie dye, eno hammocks and reusable water bottles are popular here...and that is slightly an understatement.  Yes, you can overcome your dislik e of dining halls. It is possible, you just have to believe.  Purchasing a large day planner is key. Sanity saver? Well, it sort of is.  Meeting new people constantly will lead to very awkward moments. Embrace them, learn to love the awkwardness, and accept that feeling awkward is a crucial part of being a freshman.   It&amp;#039;s all part of the experience right? The falling up stairs, being late to classes, feeling uncomfortable in get to know you games and overwhelmed when the professors pass out the syllabuses. I&amp;#039;m going to go with a yes!    With Mary Beth at a Kings of Leon concert!!! What lesson am I being shown the most? College is what you make it, you are who you want to be, and God is guiding all the moments (as awkward as some of them hysterically turn out to be). Oh, and that I will probably think of a new possible major each day for the next year before I declare and probably for a good deal of time after that. Surprisingly, I think I&amp;#039;m okay with that....already I have ruled out Global Studies, Communications, Sustainable Development, Anthropology, and am on to dreaming up the next possibility! Interdisciplinary Studies? Oh the possibilites are endless here at Appalachian.... : ) "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a12264/laura-appalachian-state-week-1/>