Susan Fitzgerald - Who Moved My Laundry?: A day-by-day guide to your first year of college life

A day-by-day
guide to your
first year
of college life

WHO
MOVED
MY
LAUNDRY?

From keeping up
your grades to dropping
the freshman 15,
WHAT EVERY FRESHMAN
REALLY NEEDS TO KNOW

Susan Fitzgerald, MA
and J. Lee Peters, EdD

As university administrators with almost sixty years of experience between the two of us, we are longtime observers of and participants in the life of the college campus. Sue received her undergraduate degree from a small private liberal arts college while Lee received his from a large state university. Sue has had broad experience at the University of Hartford, where she has held positions in four different divisions of the institution, while Lees breadth comes from having held positions at seven different institutions of higher education over the past thirty years.

What we have found through working together and sharing notes, memories and perceptions, is that large or small, public or private, young institution or old, the life of a student, especially in the first year, does not differ much from school to school. You will have ups and downs, both intellectually and emotionally. You will need to adjust to a different kind of schedule, and will need to study harder and more strategically than you did in high school. You will make new friends, try new experiences, and for residential students, you will adjust to a new kind of living arrangement that you have probably not experienced before. The biggest adjustment for most students is the increase in their responsibility for themselves and their well-being. Making all of these adjustments can be exhausting. Just like students who study abroad and have to learn a new language and different lifestyle, you will be in a totally different environment and culture than you are used to.

It seems to us that the more you can anticipate these changes, the better prepared you will be to handle them. In college life we tend to mark time by the week (seven weeks to mid-terms only three weeks till spring break!) so we thought that it would make sense to lay out this guide in week long chunks of time, giving you something to think about on each day of the week as you roll through your first year. We hope that you will use this guide as a way to think about the adjustments you will need to make, and how you will handle them.

We were talking about this book during a basketball game we were watching last week, in which freshmen, talented enough to be playing at the division one level, were making silly mistakes that you would not expect from a player of that caliber. But as we talked, we realized that they are just like you. They are playing a game they know well, and excelled at in high school, but they are playing against players far better than they have ever faced, at twice the speed they played the game before. The thing is, they are getting better and gaining more confidence in their abilities with each game they play, just as you will get better at negotiating life on campus every day that you live and study there. Enjoy the book and get ready to give your college experience a full court press!

Best of Luck and Enjoy,

Sue Fitzgerald, MA and J. Lee Peters, EdD

Your bags are unpacked, your parents are weeping (and maybe cheering a little on the inside), and your head is spinning. You are at college. Um, now what?

Its clich as anything, but know that these will be the best years of your life so far. You will make lifelong friends and perhaps meet your soulmate. You will try new things, learn valuable skills, and be challenged to figure out who you really are and what you stand for. You will fall in love with some of your classes (and perhaps classmates), deeply discuss serious issues with peers and professors, and enjoy many moments of quiet reflection.

Youll read thousands of pages and process dense information for class discussions and presentations. Youll also write hundreds of pages in essays, reports, and exams. There will be more concerts, parties, and cultural events than you have time to attend. You will have a full range of athletics to watch or participate in, a new community to explore, nearby exercise facilities to work out in, and perhaps even natural resources such as hiking trails, beaches, or ski mountains to enjoy. You will meet and live with interesting people, some from places you have never visited, with very different backgrounds and experiences than yours. By developing these new friendships, Youll learn more about yourself and what you want out of life.

By the time you finish college, Youll be prepared for a job in a field that may become a career. Youll also be prepared to change jobs if necessary, and you will still have college resources available to help you make that change. Your education in the classroom will be represented by your degree, but your education outside of the classroom will shine on your resume and in job interviews. Leadership experiences, internships, and semesters spent abroad will all help shape your approach to life and your contribution to the adult world.

This book was written as a guide for you, as an incoming college freshman, to take you through your first year of collegiate life. The topics covered will help you think about and prepare for the remarkable experience that is college. Each day from September to May is broken down into themes:

You may think you know it all, but get ready for college to change your mind pretty quickly. These entries have tips and techniques you can adopt to be a smarter, more attentive, and successful studentfrom making use of office hours to researching to acing the final exam.

Unless youre rich, college will be a wonderful whirlwind of ramen noodles and paying for things with pocket change. These entries will help you learn ways to make extra cash, make your money last, and turn it into more moneyall while staying out of the dreaded debt cycle.

Pssh, forget the Freshman 15! From avoiding fatty foods in the dining hall to exercise and taking care of your body, these entries will teach you to be a healthier, happier, and fitter college student.

As awesome as college can be, it can also present situations that can be dangerous, awkward, or difficult. These entries will provide tips on how to stay safe (on and off campus, at parties, and on the town), make careful decisions, spot warning signs of trouble, and be a well-rounded, responsible, and accountable college student, roommate, and person.

Contrary to popular belief, friends and activities wont come to you. Fridays are for getting up, getting out, losing the headphones and the slouchy walk, and getting involved in campus life. From how to join clubs to making friends to widening your social horizons, these entries offer ways to rise to the challenge of your college experience.

College is about breaking out of your typical comfort zone. Saturday entries encourage you to try new things, strike up conversations and friendships, experience new places, eat new foods, and stretch your wings. Let go of the ridiculous fears of being uncool and break the mold!

College is a busy and stressful time, between classes, friends, activities, and clubs. Making time for yourself is not only important, its essential. With entries on deep breathing, simple meditation, coping with homesickness and other issues, and taking care of yourself, Sunday entries are all about staying calm, healthy, and happy.