Friendly Advice

Areas of Advice   Campus Life: Scheduling, Health, Used Books, Time, Money, Shopping, Safety, Football, Food Community: Places to eat, Things to do in the area Relationships: Friendships, God, Roommates, Dating, Eating Disorders

Some Chi Alphans put their heads together and came up with several things they would have wanted someone to have told them that first semester. A big thanks goes to our friends at Louisiana State University and Southwest Missouri State University for their contributions. (Adapted and used by permission.)

Campus Life

Scheduling. Talk to an upperclassman. Email us and let us know if you need info about professors and classes that you are scheduling. We'll pass your email on to an upperclassman who could help you. Make sure to include your major if you know it so that we can match you up better.

Health. Are you sick? If so, go to University Health Services (UHS) on campus [ map]. It won't cost you anything. Well, more acurately you paid for it when you paid your tuition. UHS is not equipped to handle life-threatening emergencies. In such a case, go directly to the nearest hospital emergency room or urgent care center. You will have to pay for any medical care received outside of UHS, including emergency room and ambulance services, because these services aren't covered by the health service fee. UHS is located between Huron and North University Streets, directly across Fletcher from the Michigan League.

To stay healthy and have a good time, look into the intermural sports and recreational facilities on campus. Off campus, the Outdoor Adventures Office offers equipment rentals and organized trips if hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, and other such activities interest you. Need healthy tips to avoid the Freshmen Fifteen?

Used Books. If available, trust me you don't need that book to be new. You'll save money and find that the used book will do just the trick.

Time. In college, no one will make you go to class. You must motivate yourself to attend. Get a planner and write down all your weekly classes and activities. If you don't go to class you will regret it later. One day of class in college could be equivalent to a week of class in high school.

Money. Don't spend it all the first week of school! And watch out for those credit card applications. Before you know it you can be in debt. Spend what you have, not what you don't have. Don't count on paying it all off when you graduate; you may find yourself asking "Would you like fries with that?" Definately don't ever use plastic for fast food.

Wait to Shop. Don't buy all the stuff you need in your room before you get here. Your roommate may have some of it and that way you won't have two phones, two answering machines, two sofas... get the picture?

Safety. Campus is a great place, but you shouldn't walk around campus at night by yourself. The University provides the Night Owl --a bus that takes you around campus during late hours. Need a Night Owl map or schedule? Or you can ask a Chi Alphan to walk you home!

Football Games/Parking. If you are in town for a football game you might not want to lose your parking space on Saturday morning. Run your errands on Friday or if you leave campus on Saturday you might not want to come back until about one to two hours after the game. There will be lots of traffic and lots of people parked all over campus. Finding a parking space for some games will be very difficult and what parking there is will be expensive. I've seen parking spots go for $15 per car. If you're going to the game and live around campus, walk there. About an hour before the game State Street looks like a parade with all the fans walking to the stadium.

Meal Plans. Balance your meal plan and have some Entree Plus money. You may not eat every meal in the cafeteria. All meals not used by the end of the semester are lost.

Community

Places to Eat. You could eat a different place each night of the year in Ann Arbor and not eat at the same place twice. Every kind of food is represented: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, authentic Mexican, Tex-Mex, American, Greek, Mediterranian, deli, seafood, mongolian barbaque, ice cream, hot dog stands, pizza (New York, Greek, Chicago, etc.). Stroll down South University Avenue or State Street on campus or along Main Street or Fourth Avenue in downtown Ann Arbor to find more great places to eat than you can shake a stick at. Looking for a certain type of food? Need healthy tips to avoid the Freshmen Fifteen?

Take the Bus. You can take the bus around campus and the city for free with your Mcard (U-M student identification card). You don't always have to walk to class, especially if you live on Central Campus and have classes on North Campus or vice versa! Need a bus schedule or map?

Coffee and Bagels. What's a college campus without coffee and bagels? Coffee shops are great places to study and hang out with friends in a comfy atmosphere. Get a cappuccino, muffin, bagel or pastry at Cava Java, Einstein's, Caribou Coffee, Amer's, or any other of a number of places around campus.

Grow. Develop a network of friends around you that will both bless you and be blessed by your unique giftings. Begin to carve out your niche on campus by looking into some of our regular events listed here!

Relationships

Roommate Survival. Here are some tips to be a good roommate:

• Don't leave your stuff all over. Keep your room clean.
   
• Don't borrow their stuff without permission (clothes, toothbrush, underwear!, etc).
   
• Don't set your alarm at 5 am and snooze until 8 am.
   
• Get to know your roommate.
   
• Don't keep the light on too late, be considerate of your roomate's sleeping time.
   
• Communicate, don't assume but talk to your roommate if you have a problem about something.
   
• If the relationship is totally irreconcilable talk to your RA.

Dating. Don't settle for the first person you find. There are lots of people around and you want to get to know them as friends first. Set your standards and stick to them! Know what kind of person you want to date and one day marry. Remember: Every date is a possible mate, don't settle for second best. Concentrate on God's plan for you instead of trying to make things happen. Check out the inspiring article "His Plan for Your Mate."

Global Friends. There are lots of people on this campus. Don't just stick to the people that look like you. On campus you will have the oppotunity to meet students from around the world. You may never have an opportunity like this again, take advantage of it and make some international friends..

Eating Disorders. Many women are dissatisfied with their weight. Some go to extremes in trying to control it. The truth is that when we don't accept ourselves for who we are we can become bulimic or anorexic. There are always deeper issues to deal with than just your weight. Let God determine who you are as a person not your weight. God calls you beautiful and a perfect creation. He says that He has loved you with an everlasting love. Eating disorders won't help you. In some cases, they may even be fatal. Look for help. Contact us or the University's Counseling & Psychological Services for help.

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