A Freshman Survival Guide: Nuggets of Wisdom for the Class of 2012
In August 2007, I made the five hour trek from Madison, Wisconsin, on down to the metropolis of Crawfordsville, Indiana. After a summer of work, I was looking forward to getting started with college. I was looking forward to the freedom – personal and academic. The courses were going to be interesting. I’d heard rave reviews about professors from current Wabash men. Also, people had told me that football and basketball are big things down here (something called the Monon Bell Game?). After an enlightening freshman orientation (and I use the adjective loosely), I dived into life at Wabash. I did well in my courses, made great friends in my own class and in others, got involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, participated in the school traditions, and made it to every football and basketball game that I could. I had a great freshman year – and I hope that you can too. The following is advice from a former freshman who survived and loved his first year at Wabash. You can take what I write for whatever it’s worth. If anything, it’ll give you something to chew on during these first few weeks of your Wabash experience.
1. Study! – For God’s sake, study, study, study, and study some more. Starting your freshman year with 100-level courses, you’ll find that Wabash makes you work hard to earn a good GPA. It all starts with your freshman year. Some professors will give you a little leeway for a little bit because you’re a freshman – you’re still getting yourself acclimated to the rigors of Wabash College. However, if you don’t crack open a book, whatever leeway your professor gives you won’t do you the least amount of good. I can’t tell you how much time you should study – I don’t know you (yet). The best advice that I can give you is that you should study the material until you feel that you can brilliantly expound upon it in a blue book (because you’ll need too). If you’ve pledged a fraternity, you’re going to have to study a great deal during your mandatory study table hours, so my words are merely reinforcing one of the great strengths of Greek life. However, if you’re an independent (like I was and am), you’ll need to develop the self-discipline to study in your dorm or make the trek over to the Lilly Library. If you can master the art of studying, your time at Wabash will be infinitely easier and more enjoyable.
2. Get Involved – You are going to hear it time and time again during your first few months, and it’s imperative that you do it. Though we’re a small college, there’s no shortage of extracurricular activities. We have a radio station (WNDY), a newspaper (The Bachelor), a service-oriented fraternity (Alpha Phi Omega), intramurals, many political and religious organizations of various stripes, and many other clubs that simply defy categorization (i.e. the Brew Society). Even though you are a freshman, it is possible to be deeply involved in your organizations. If you’re enthusiastic, all the better. Speaking from personal experience, I had articles of mine published in almost every issue of The Phoenix last year, and at the start of the second semester I was named the Copy Editor for the publication. Many of the officers of the College Republicans and Democrats, the Progressive Student Movement, and Wabash Christian Men were freshmen last year. While you are not going to be the head of the organization (unless you start it), you can still potentially hold some ego-stroking title that will look good on a résumé in a couple years. Also, your extracurriculars are where you are going to meet some of your best friends. While your fraternity/pledge brothers or housing roommates are great people and you’ll (more likely than not) like them, getting involved with organizations allows you to meet a number of people who you probably wouldn’t know otherwise. Some of the best friends that I made last year were those I met in my various organizations. Also – let’s face it – Crawfordsville’s not exactly the most exciting city in the nation. Working on articles for publications or preparing for upcoming weeks is a great way to kill boredom at Wabash (and believe me, there’ll occasionally be the need for that at Wabash). All in all, get involved. What do you have to lose?
3. Revel in the Traditions – Wabash, while not an ancient institution, is still an old school. We were established when Crawfordsville was a frontier town on the fringes of American civilization. Over the course of our 175 years, various traditions have taken root in the Wabash community. Some of them are majestic and regal (Alma Mater Sing). Others are mildly eccentric (don’t walk under the Arch). Others yet are simply bizarre (Chapel Sing) and perhaps borderline illegal (Pan-Hell – you’ll see what I mean when that rolls around). Wabash is home to the oldest football rivalry this side of the Alleghenies. Be sure that you get your ticket when the time comes – it’s definitely one of the highlights of life at Wabash! Also, every freshman should do Chapel Sing. Greeks are required by their houses to do so, but Independents make the choice themselves. Chapel Sing is quite odd. You sing our infamously long fight song (“Old Wabash”) nonstop for 45 minutes while getting hazed in sundry ways by the Sphinx Club. It’s different, perhaps unpleasant, but it provides you with great memories that you’ll be laughing at for years to come. Also, the most obvious characteristic of our college – we’re all-male – is a tradition that’s lasted for 175 years, and I pray that it’ll continue for the remainder of this institution’s history. We’re different – you can say that we add some diversity into a predominantly uniform educational world – and you should celebrate it, not challenge it or complain about it. All-male education has its benefits, and it’s imperative that it continues on our campus. Wabash is a traditional place with some great and unique traditions. Your time at Wabash will be much better if you revel in them rather than ignore or rebel against them.
4. Know the Song – I’ve been told that “Old Wabash” is the longest college fight song in the nation. Whether or not that’s true or not I do not know, but it certainly feels like it. You sing two relatively long stanzas, the refrain twice, and the chorus twice. Learning “Old Wabash” certainly takes more effort to know than do the fight songs of the University of Wisconsin or Indiana University. All the same, learn it. We sing the chorus multiple times during our football games. After every basketball game – win or lose – the song rings out boisterously on Chadwick Court. Also, every Thursday morning, the Chapel Talks are finished with a rousing rendition of “Old Wabash.” You’re going to encounter that song so often enough that you might as well learn it! Indeed, the odd ducks on campus are those who don’t know it. “Old Wabash” – just learn it!
5. Attend the Chapel Talks – Every Thursday morning at the Pioneer Chapel, we have something called “Chapel Talks.” For 30 minutes or so, a Wabash professor, alumnus, or administrator gives a talk on a topic related to Wabash or to life in general. While sometimes the talks are less than inspiring, other times the speaker knocks the ball out of the park with his talk. If you go to Chapel, you’ll learn about the history of our college and our traditions. You’ll appreciate this college so much more by making the short trip to the Chapel on Thursday mornings. If you choose the Greek life, you’ll be required by your house to attend the talks during your pledgeship. However, I’d encourage you to attend as many as you can after your pledgeship is over. I would also encourage Independents to attend as well. We’re not required to do anything or go anywhere – that’s the great beauty of the Independent life – but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t participate in one of the bare-bone basic traditions at Wabash. So attend Chapel Talks – it’ll be well worth your while, since you’ll come to love and appreciate our community even more.
6. Know Your Professors – I have friends who attend large state universities, and they regale me with tales of 500 student classes, TA’s you can’t understand, and professors they never see outside of the lecture hall. That’s not the case here at Wabash. Since we’re a small school, you get to be very much acquainted with your professors. They’ll know you intimately enough to joke with you and playfully harass you. There’s a closeness between the faculty and the student body that can only exist at a small college. Take advantage of it. While many professors do have set office hours for you to visit them, at Wabash those schedules are fairly flexible. Most professors have an open door policy and are more than happy to assist you in any way possible. Be it class problems or career advice or simply chatting, Wabash professors are by and large delighted to entertain your presence in their offices. Visit them when needed. While you should remember that they need to get some work done, don’t be afraid to walk through their doors. Some of the best experiences I had my freshman year were simply talking with professors in their offices. While the professors are neither gods nor infallible, you should try to obtain as much knowledge from them as possible – especially during your freshman year, since you’re still trying to find your way through college.
7. Ask Questions – You’re a freshman. Your experiences with Wabash until now probably have been limited to the Admissions Visit Days, scholarship weekends, and the various literature and postcards with which the Admissions Office has deluged your home. The first month or so of life at Wabash may seem strange and confusing at first. Don’t worry. If you have any questions, ask someone. Sophomores, juniors, seniors, and faculty know that you’re new to Wabash, so they’ll be more than happy to assist you in anyway possible. People at Wabash care about you – we like to see our freshman retention rates remaining high. So if you have any questions or concerns, simply ask.
8. Abide by the Gentleman’s Rule – “The student is expected to conduct himself at all times, both on and off the campus, as a gentleman and a responsible citizen.” The College has one and only one rule – the Gentleman’s Rule. Now, that rule can be interpreted and enforced in sundry different ways, but there’s still only one rule. Here’s a quick and easy translation of that rule that might make it easier to understand and abide by it: “Don’t be an idiot.” We can debate over what an idiot is, but I’d apply the Golden Rule in my decision process if I were you. Also, look at the Gentleman’s Rule as a means of liberty. Think of it this way – unless you do something that’s completely beyond the pale, the Deans are not going to be looking over your shoulder to see if you broke some minute rule printed in a handbook. So enjoy the Gentleman’s Rule – and abide by it.
Looking back at my freshman year, I can say that I’m happy with how my first year at Wabash turned out and set me up for a good sophomore year. The advice I’ve given in this article simply reflects things that I believe aided my transition into life at Wabash and my relative success here. My advice may not work for everyone. As you find your place at Wabash, I’m sure you’ll discover things that I didn’t mention that probably should have been in this article, and you might find that my advice didn’t help you in the least bit. All the same, these are just some nuggets of wisdom for you to digest. Welcome to Wabash, and I hope that you’ll be successful in all your endeavors here. Wabash Always Fights!
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