Welcome freshmen and welcome back veterans to MSU. Welcome, most of all, to The State News. This editorial is geared toward incoming freshmen but some returning students would do well to get a clue also.
Go to class! It’s so easy to skip, but it’s so much work to catch up. Think about why you came to college.
Study abroad. While the rest of college might be a hazy memory, you will never forget a semester spent in Europe or South America.
You’ll notice that for many students, weekend partying starts Thursday (Wednesday for the really hard-core kids). This will in no way help your grade-point average.
Don’t bother getting a fake ID - the bars here aren’t so great that you’ll want to hang out in them for four years. As far as clubs go, you’d better have a car, there aren’t many around here.
Four years go by quickly, why not make it five or six? No pressure, really.
If you’re a freshman, you’re probably living on campus. That means lots of free stuff. Free movies, dances and activities. The New York Times is delivered to your dorm; impress a professor by bringing it to class with you.
The Main Library contains a wealth of information and it’s also free.
Watch out for credit cards. Not long after signing up to get a few free T-shirts, you’ll be wondering how you managed to get yourself in so much debt. You’re such a responsible young adult, how are you going to break the news to your parents?
Even if you’re not a football fan, it’s fun to get outside and join in Spartan spirit by tailgating on home-game Saturdays. Just watch out for the drunken folks - they may be funny, but they can be dangerous while driving.
Don’t order pizza every night. You won’t be able to pay those credit card bills. Besides, your parents are paying for you to eat in the caf.
Riding a bike around campus between classes is an extreme sport here at MSU and you’ll soon find out why. Watch out for pedestrians; you’re already annoying them enough as it is.
Tutoring is free. Get off your high horse and take advantage of it. It will help you make up for those Thursday nights you spent partying.
East Lansing has been losing local merchants to national retailers like the Gap and Barnes & Noble Booksellers during the last few years. Help out small retailers by cruising Grand River Avenue and visiting their shops before we’re overrun by corporate chains.
Visit the gardens before winter sets in. The Beal Botanical Garden is especially beautiful this time of year, and the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden has some cool toys and a shrub maze.
Canoeing on the Red Cedar River is fun and relaxing, but we can’t recommend it enthusiastically because we wouldn’t want you to blame us if you get sick from E. coli. Just don’t swallow the water and you should be fine.
There’s a way to keep up with everything going on around campus, from academics to riots to theater productions. It’s called The State News. Read it. But you don’t need to be told that.
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