You only get one chance to make a first impression.
Starting college can be a scary experience.
The place feels huge and there are just so many new people to meet.
What’s even scarier is that the people you meet in your first class may well be the people that you spend the next four years with. And the first impression you make is what will determine how they look at you for a long time…
So, you know, no pressure.
But don’t worry. You’ll meet the right people, and everything will work out.
But just as a little helper, we’ve compiled a list of the seven different people you’ll meet in your first week of college. If you’re currently in college or have been and gone, you’ll be able to relate.
The legend
He is doing his utmost to let you know how cool he is. While everyone else is being fairly conservative and feeling their way into it on the first day, he’s making sly comments, trying to get a laugh.
He has come prepared. Maybe secondary school wasn’t the best time for him, and he is not going to let that happen again. He’s going to be a legend, one way or another.
Be careful or you’ll end up at the butt of one his jokes. The legend will be ruthless…
The mature student
At first, you thought it was a lecturer sitting among the students. But nope, it’s a mature student.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Going back to college is a brave and admirable thing to do.
What is not admirable is answering every single question in a lecture, purely because you have lived twice as long as everyone else and, obviously, have gained knowledge that means you’re probably quite a bit smarter than everyone else in the course.
They’re probably lovely, but they will also probably answer every question that is asked on campus over the course of the next three years.
The organised one.
It’s the first day. WHY ARE YOU TAKING NOTES?
It’s one thing showing up prepared, but there’s a line.
Get used to this sight because while you show up to classes with a laptop, the organised one will be showing up with more stationery than Easons have in stock.
The veteran
This is not their first rodeo. They are repeating the year for whatever reason, and it’s obvious from the first day.
They know the lecturers by their first name and they have a bit of a swagger as if to say: “Yep. I know the way to each class room.”
Stick with them, they’ll be sure to have a few tricks.
The latecomer
They’ll come late to the introductory class and you can be sure that they will come late about once a week for the rest of your time in college.
Lecturers will learn over time not to bother taking attendance until 30 minutes into the class to allow for them.
They’ll get told off. They’ll apologise. They’ll never learn.
The quiet one
They won’t say a word unless you speak to them.
They’re completely unproblematic, and will never step on anyone’s toes, but will also probably never open their mouths to speak to you at any stage throughout the course.
Talk to them, they’re probably sound.
The clique
Ah, the clique. A group of friends who had similar interests in secondary school and obviously vowed to attend the same college and apply for the same course.
It’s quite nice, if not a little bit terrifying that so many people seem to just know each other already for some reason…
Make friends with one of them and you’ve got yourself a few friends. It’s a package deal.
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