Editor’s note: A lot has changed at USF St. Petersburg in the last few years, but the confusion, excitement, nervousness and eventual complacence that come with one’s first week as a bull have remained constant.
The week of Aug. 25 – 30, The Crow’s Nest sent five freshman contributors out on their first assignment — a diary-style documentation of their first week of classes. Instructed to question everything, be conscious of their surroundings, make noteworthy observations and write everything down, these newbies offer personal, nostalgia-evoking accounts of surviving week one.
Monday, Aug. 26
7 a.m.
Taylor Sherman – From elementary to middle to high school, the bane of my existence has been getting up at unnatural hours of the day. I’ve been getting up when it was still dark out since I was 6! So going straight from that lifestyle to a relaxing, no-need-to-rush morning could not have been a more welcome start to this new page in my life story.
I don’t care what anyone says about college being hard; nothing can be as hard as fighting off sleep for a seven-hour school day.
9 a.m.
Georgia Valdes – Waking up at 6:45 a.m. is hell. For some reason it was extra chilly this morning in my dorm so all I wanted to do was curl up and fall back asleep. My first class was at 7:30 a.m., Intro to Sociology. At least it’s an interesting topic that early in the morning (that’s what I kept telling myself as motivation.)
After my fifth mirror check I headed to Starbucks to grab a quick breakfast. I think my heart broke a little when the barista told me they weren’t open yet. Seeing as I had about 10 minutes to get to class, I dashed back to my dorm to see if I could pocket some goldfish or pretzels. When I got to Davis, no one was around but two girls waiting outside the door.
“Are you here for the Intro for Sociology?” I asked.
One girl just shook her head and gave me the “I know you’re a freshman” look. Confused, I looked at my schedule. Am I in the right building? Yes. Did I miss an announcement? Nope. Just as I was going to look for some help I saw it: p.m.
Intro to Sociology is in Davis Hall, room 232, but at 7:30 p.m.
The positive- I don’t have a morning class after all. Other positive- I got Starbucks.
11 a.m.
G.V. – I was nervous to meet my environmental teacher. I’d looked her up on ratemyprofessor.com and she got some pretty intense reviews. I understood that she based on portion of the grade based on speaking up in class, so I went in hoping to get a chance to do just that. As the lecture began and she asked questions I couldn’t seem to get into it. It was like a small something in my head was holding me back. By the time she was pairing us up into future presentation groups, I was beyond irritated with myself. I decided to take the first chance I got to stand out, no hesitations.
“Due to scheduling, a group will need to volunteer to go first,” my professor said. Without any thought, I raised my hand.
My group mates looked at me with a mixture of surprise and unhappiness. In my rush, I hadn’t even asked them. How bad could it be though?
Turns out that our presentation is due next week, while everyone else’s is due in December. Oops.
Noon
T.S. – I can now say that I have finished my first two classes of college with success! I might even start doing undergraduate work! Don’t I sound all official? It’s refreshing to have all this autonomy, but I must admit that I’m feeling a little aimless.
I decide to go visit the library… and get lost. I have no idea where it is, so on my way down from my dorm, I ask someone on the elevator with me. We laugh about how much of a freshman I sound like, and he kindly explains where it is. I feel so lame!
Then, to add insult to injury, when I leave the library later on, I stand in front of the doors like an idiot for a few minutes. Why? Because the doors (on the inside) say, “Emergency Exit”, so, reading this information, I can’t figure out if those doors are only used as entrances nor can I determine where the “real” exits are. I must’ve looked so stupid, standing there with a dumbfounded look on my face.
3:28 p.m.
Jonah King – Between Egyptian hieroglyphs and samples of Beluga whales, the most important information I learned on my first day of college was not to confuse an S with a 5. That one had me scrambling around the Peter Rudy Wallace building for a good 20 minutes asking about the invisible room 185.
I’m still using my power of deductive reasoning to create an effective plan of attacking the infamous quality of food at the Reef, which as a freshman living on campus, I’m required to purchase. I wouldn’t say it’s an A-Team caliber plan yet, but it is a work in progress.
I’ve approached friendly faces and entities in my general vicinity to ask questions and befriend anyone I can strike up a conversation with. If I’m wiping my life savings for this, I might as well learn the names of those I’m surrounded by. The stories are vast from the commuters, the visitors from Tampa, the locals, and those out of state. Everyone seems to have “their” story, and now it feels time to create mine.
5:15 p.m.
T.S. – I’m exhausted, but the day’s not over yet. I’ve got my first meeting with the Crow’s Nest. I’m so excited! I’ve never been a part of a newspaper before, but I want to do well (and not only to make my credentials look good)! I get there on time, but embarrassingly mistake someone else for the person in charge! I didn’t say anything about it, but all I could think was: what a freshman move.
6 p.m.
Enriqueta Balandra – Apparently I am really good at scheduling for a freshman and ended up with no classes on Monday or Friday. So today I went to the bookstore and dealt with some charging issues. I’ve been there about four times since move-in and the cashier now tells the other cashiers that I’m “trouble.” So I guess I made a friend?
I indulged in the free lunch offered for students in the Week of Welcome, then headed over to the free printing in Student Life Center, which unfortunately was broken. The computers wouldn’t connect and I had to go to the library and pay money. I talked with some of my friends and family today and shed a few tears just because I can’t see them as much as I used to. Those are the cons of living away from home.
10:30 p.m.
Mariah Jones – Today was one of those days where reality really sets in. This is definitely not high school.
My day started OK. I got breakfast with my roommates, waited in the cashier’s line to get my ID card activated though it didn’t actually need to be, then changed my major. That was the only exciting part of my day. After that, I spent my day on and off the phone calling different departments and my mom. I waited in the financial aid line only to get the answer that I didn’t want. And then I had to go to the bookstore and wait in the outrageous line three times until I was finally able to leave with my textbooks. Oh, and did I mention the air-condition has been broken in my room since Saturday? Yeah.
On the bright side, my room has a great view
Tuesday, Aug. 27
1:23 p.m.
J.K. – Overwhelmed is the most considerate synonym to my state of mind at the moment. I’ll be rushing over to my final class, Composition II, and hopefully get a breath of fresh air after the tumultuous assault of my busy day two of collegiate schooling.
I’m still feeling the effects of last night’s three-hour night class eloquently named, Comparative Politics. After attending the Student Government Luau, my day really began with a midnight surprise trip to IHOP. Using my senses of economical awareness, I successfully paid for nothing and ended up with eggs, waffles, and fries at 1:30 a.m.
I’m still alive as evidenced by the action that I am currently writing this at a decent proficiency. My stomach isn’t in complete agreement, but has gotten through the day like a trooper, which is commendable considering my recent diet.
The day is not getting any younger so I must continue on and trudge through one final class before entering my laundry list you would expect a wife to give their husband on a Sunday (which he ignores to watch football game).
2 p.m.
T.S. – I’ve been so excited about the Downtown Derby since the moment I heard about it! I love scavenger hunts, and I really want to try out long boarding! I partnered myself with Mark, our student body president, who, unsurprisingly, was insanely knowledgeable about the St. Petersburg area, which made deciphering our clues a breeze. We ended up in second place and I won a portable hammock! I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t want to get involved when the school gives away such cool prizes just for having fun!
4:30
E.B. – First day of classes for me! Statistics seemed normal. I really like that my classes are similar in size to the ones in high school instead of the oversized auditoriums with hundreds of students shown in movies.
I had to deal with the bookstore guy yet again today for an access code. Then I decided to take a beautiful walk around the water to Harbor Hall for my English class. The stunning view made waking up at 6:30 a.m. completely worth it.
I was able to have a much needed lunch break and then headed over to Davis Hall where I proceeded to get lost. At least I got a tour out of the building before finally finding my Spanish class. After living like an Eskimo in the freezing cold classrooms all day, I took the opportunity to sit by the fountain and admire the beautiful campus. Can’t wait for the Great Gatsby tonight. Maybe I’ll make some new friends.
7 p.m.
G.V. – Today was the longboarding club’s Downtown Derby event. It was basically a scavenger hunt in downtown St. Pete where we were given clues of locations and had to prove we were there by snapping a selfie. I was so grateful that we were in pairs (one longboarder, one runner) because I didn’t know my way around anywhere.
I got even luckier with my pairing. My partner, Ricky, has lived here for seven years. After it was all said and done I had a pretty clear picture of the town in my head, an extremely exhausted body and 17 points. We didn’t win, but it was nice to be involved. It made me not only feel part of the club and school but also to the area, solidifying my ability to say, “Hey, I’m a college student and I live in St. Pete.”
11 p.m.
M.J. – I have not had more than one class a day yet so why has this been the most stressful two days of my life? I experienced my first big college decision, faced with the choice of being studious and not staying out late when I have a class in the morning, or seeing a late movie and hoping to wake up in time class. Let’s face it, I really wanted to see this movie. So, I did what any other college student would do and went. And I refuse to regret it.
I also paid more $9 for printing today # easily the most tragic part of my day. I am definitely getting a printer this weekend because I can’t do that anymore. After printing everything, I realized don’t own a three-ring hole puncher (and I failed to realize there’s one in the library until it was too late) so, I walked down to CVS in the middle of a hot day to buy one, in effort to avoid the ten minutes it would take me to get out of the parking garage from the sixth floor.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
4 p.m.
G.V. – I checked out the Harbor Market this morning and my favorite stand was one that had various succulent plants. I ended up buying one in an adorable copper mug. I really need to cool it on my spending, but I couldn’t resist.
I’m glad I get along well with my roommate. I know some people who have problems and I can tell that it totally sucks. I mean, you’re going to constantly be with them. So far we haven’t had problems. We’re both more laid back and it’s easy to compromise. We give each other as much space as we can manage, which keeps things peaceful when we have to share some environment. Plus we help each other out.
5:00 p.m.
T.S. – I met some really nice people advertising for Demo Day at the harbor (which I am stoked for!). When I said I’d already heard about it, they gave me a free ride around the courtyard in a kayak on wheels! Crazy shenanigans like that just don’t happen anywhere else. I wonder if this is one of those college things that everyone just gets used to.
6:30 p.m.
M.J. – While I actually had to get up early today, I thoroughly enjoyed the class I had to wake up for. Say what? Yeah, I am actually looking forward to it.
For the first time since moving onto campus, I actually ate lunch and dinner in the Reef. Having to wait in long lines to get my food makes me just want to go back to my dorm and make a PB&J. But I have a meal plan, I might as well use it … right?
Tonight my roommates and I plan to go the party that is being held in the SLC. Mostly because we want to get henna tattoos and are too chicken to get actual tattoos.
8 p.m.
E.B. – Whenever I’m hungry, the Reef is always closed. Because I live in USC, it’s the closest place to get food, so I spent a good hour or two hungrily waiting for it to open.
I only endured one class today and it was probably my favorite so far # Arts and Humanities, one of the freshmen Honors courses.
I found water leaking out of the mechanical room next to my dorm and had to file a work order to get it fixed. I also spent some time socializing at the Intervarsity party and got one of those awesome henna tattoos. It was especially great to post my tattoo on Instagram and freak out all of my friends and family.
11:50 p.m.
J.K. – It’s a very late Wednesday night. My current state of consciousness is none too far beyond crumpling into a fetal position on my soft, warm bed. The comfort of heaven is a few mindless stumbles away and yet here I am mashing away at the keyboard nearing the toll of midnight.
I attended the Casino Royale event tonight a little late because I was hanging out with a group of people I met at the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. They made it clear they aren’t the sports club as the word “varsity” would suggest.
I went to the Wellness Center, the gym and played pool in the SLC while meeting new people and successfully staying awake in Statistics or History of Visual Arts again. If that’s not the sign of a productive day, I can’t tell you what is.
Thursday, Aug. 29
5:15 p.m.
T.S. – I’m off to the drama club meeting (Broadway Bulls). I like how things aren’t so “cliquey” here. I can join the drama club and a sports team and I won’t be shunned by the student body. And better yet, I can join any club I want; I don’t have to find the club that all my friends are in. It’s nice to see that groups get along, and it’s not all about being in the “in” crowd.
9 p.m.
E.B. – I woke up this morning without any blankets on because my air conditioning broke AGAIN. I had a busy day today with four classes almost back to back with just enough time to grab a quick lunch.
I attended the Honors college reception and it was nice to meet people with the same strive for achievement that I possess. After introducing myself to Dr. Fueyo and eating some delicious pizza and fruit, I headed back to my dorm to grab my bags and head back home for the weekend. I dealt with quite a few crazy drivers and the most rain I’ve ever experienced on the road.
10:31 p.m.
J.K. – The SLC seems to be the place to visit when I have down time.
I’ve been preparing extensively for my second album release which is released tomorrow. When the white kid in the room says “I’m a rapper,” it certainly grabs attention. And being that my rap moniker is Mini Horse, I have to further explain myself to my peers who always love to listen to the “so back in high school” story.
The reception just to the fact that I’m making music though, rap music especially, has been very endearing with all those who have responded positively. Those I’ve met so far seem open-minded.
1:30 a.m.
M.J. – Technically it’s already Friday, but for my roommates and I, it’s still Thursday.
It’s getting to the point where my days seem so long. I can’t even remember some things that happened this morning. It’s such a weird feeling.
My weekend kicked off with my first trip to Taco Bus. I don’t normally stay out too late, so maybe I am just not used to the nightlife, but we definitely saw some interesting things. This freedom stuff, man.
Now to sleep in my super comfy bed (yeah, right) and just be thankful I am alive.
Friday, Aug. 30
2:38 p.m.
J.K. – Today was my first delightful experience taking the long hike down six flights of stairs when the fire alarm went off. My first thought immediately jumped to the conclusion someone pulled the alarm as a joke. Sherlock Holmes needs to be on the case to catch the culprit before I go vigilante. I shared the same sentiment with a guy who appeared to have just come from out of the shower.
This day marks the first day I’ve slept in past 11 a.m. and has felt like the most time I’ve spent in my room.
I’ve now officially sold much of my life savings away to USFSP and on the quest for a job.
5 p.m.
G.V. – Today is all about homework. I have that Environment project I could start research on, assignments from Mass Communications and catching up on reading in Oceanography. Plenty to do.
My friend Sarah interrupted my homework session to remind me about the barbeque. This whole Week of Welcome is a nice idea and it’s definitely made a lot of the student body feel much more integrated. Each event is an opportunity to meet new people and become more part of the school and class.
T.S.
Lost Track of Time – So far, all the differences between high school and college have been positive for me. I’ve made great friends, found awesome clubs and the food isn’t half bad (though anything is an upgrade from cold pizza and rotten carrots). Now that my first week of classes are over and things will soon fall into a routine, I’m excited to see how everything plays out. Hopefully I won’t get lost on my way to class anymore.
8:30 p.m.
M.J. – Today my roommates and I took part in demo day for the waterfront. Going to a school on the water is the neatest thing to me. I didn’t kayak long due to the crazy Florida weather, but I can tell I am going to enjoy this feature.
I am still getting used to the airplanes flying over my head while I am walking to class, but I am absolutely loving the location of this school.
