There is no question about it: COVID has made life more challenging for many people. Perhaps it’s the constant worry in the back of your mind about what you touched, who touched it before you and the millions of germ cells you may possibly be infecting yourself with. Maybe it’s the isolation or lack of socializing that is making your brain feel all fuzzy and unsettled. Whatever it may be, there are numerous subjects that could be impacting you and your loved ones in ways that you could have never imagined.
For most of us, the “typical” or “normal” college experience has been disrupted. However, for first-year college students, this may be additionally jarring, seeing as this group of individuals are living in a new environment that they want to enjoy but are unsure how to safely. One of the benefits of these challenges arising is that one must use their creativity to come up with new ways of having fun. Buckle up y’all, these aren’t just suggestions of what you should do; these are essential first-year-living-on-campus-experiences.
Climb a tree on campus. There is a very beautiful pine in the back of Ranger Hall but if you decide to climb it, make sure you have on clothes that you don’t absolutely adore because you will get sticky sap on your clothes in some way or another, even if you only realize that months later. There are many other splendid trees on campus that have the ability to be climbed as well. I would highly recommend everyone to embrace their tree-hugging self and swaddle yourself in the leaves and branches.
Go to the greenhouses at the top of campus. Make sure who you are going with has a good background check. You never know if the person will admire Frank the Turtle with you and that’s a big deal.
Riding the RIPTA is a right of passage for every first-year student living on campus.
All students who do not have a car on campus are eligible to receive pases from URI’s Office of Transportation, and necessary measures are being taken to make sure the buses are sanitized for use. You never know where you’ll end up when you read the wrong schedule, if you may meet a man who takes a swig of liquor and proceeds to tell you how beautiful you are or if you’ll see. The possibilities are endless.
Despite the fact that the dining halls are no longer serving food buffet style, the ability to gather large quantities of cookies is still possible. Consuming copious amounts of cookies from the dining hall is a must. Ask for the required number of cookie packages to fill the void you may feel from not being able to sneak food out, stash them away for the desired time, and perform a seance for your act of self care.
Perhaps these suggestions of must-do’s are not what you had in mind for fulfilling the quintessential college experience. Honestly, speaking as a student going into my fourth year, the typical college experience does not exist, you make it yourself! If you have any suggestions of what you think are the must-do’s on campus to experience, please share.