14 Greatest Etiquette Tips for Newly Matriculated Students

What about etiquette for newly matriculated students who don’t have a clue as to what college is really all about when you have to live for the first time with strangers?

–GB, Alberta, Canada

These simple dos and don’ts should smooth the transition, if s/he knows these 14 etiquette tips for students:

Pace yourself because there’s plenty of time over the next four years to party.
Eat nutritiously to stay healthy and alert.
Phone your family once in a while.
Keep up good personal hygiene.
Be kind to anyone who looks and behaves as though they are homesick or feeling left out.
Report sexual assault.

Don’t

Get drawn into competitive hangover-ing.
Blow your budget the first month.
Assume your roommates will clean up after you.
Become overwhelmed by your vast new surroundings and intimidated by the academic backgrounds of your fellow students, because everyone else is feeling insignificant too.
Become upset if you do or say something silly. Quickly laugh it off to show you’re human.
Forget to deal with your laundry on a weekly basis because it can smell up your room.
Cook or store food that leaves a lingering odor.