A college campus can be a large, imposing thing for the uninitiated. Some of
them can be scattered across cities or multiple towns, or be the size of a small
town themselves. Knowing where you are going is important because you will have
classes that you need to be on time for, meals that you need to eat, and
possibly a place that you are living: all of them on campus.
First Things First
When you first get your schedule, get yourself a map of campus or find
someone who knows that place really well, and go for a walk. Go to each building
you have a class in and locate the classrooms themselves. This will give you an
idea of how long it will actually take to get to class from wherever you are,
including the time spent going up or down stairs or elevators.
If your campus is
spread out over a city, you might need to get to know the bus or subway system
before you'll feel comfortable getting from A to B. This means you'll need to
get a schedule and a map for those, too. Again, having someone with you who
knows the city to help out is invaluable.
Get Lost
Especially if your campus is a well-contained
environment, it's a fun and useful idea to just wander around when you have the
time. This will give you an idea of where buildings are in relation to each
other, the general scope of your campus, and where people tend to hang out. The
other advantage is that you may find places on your campus that, without having
a class scheduled there, you would never have otherwise known about. There might
be the perfect study, lunch-eating, or date spot for you, a place to play piano
after hours, or a hot tub in the gym you never read about. It would certainly be
worth it to find one of these places, all while getting to know your campus
better and becoming more comfortable navigating yourself through it.
Those in the Know
If you are ever confused about where you are
going as you are going there, you can always stop and ask someone on campus.
There is really no need to be embarrassed: people asking for directions is par
for the course at school. Any second-year student is already a seasoned pro at
giving directions to people on campus. Incidentally, this is also a great
icebreaker, and you might find yourself in conversation about what class you are
going to, what your major is, etc.
It's a bit of trial-and-error, but
finding your way around campus is not so bad. As long as you are reasonably
prepared with a map and can muster the courage to ask a stranger for directions,
you will be fine. Before you know it, you'll be the one telling confused
freshmen where to go!
