From the upperclassmen that will be giving you swirlies in about eight hours, welcome to North Dakota State University.

All jokes aside, where is the dining center guest pass?  

Ah, high school. Wasn’t it fun?  Welcome to college, where everything is different.

You live on campus. You have more demanding classes, your friends are a little bit more mature (in some cases) and you are paying for it this time.

Look to the upperclassmen. If we made it, you can make this crazy transition. Be smart, you don’t go to the University of North Dakota (learn to laugh at these jokes, and get good at telling them).

High school is over. College is on your dime this time.

Don’t treat college like you treated high school. Don’t live for Friday night.

If you are here to party it up and drink on Mondays, you better be good at: A.) bullshitting and/or B.) cramming.

Not to say we have anything against partying; we all enjoy a good time with friends, except electrical engineers. Rumor is the sun hurts them.

With that being said, understand that school is important. You’re putting your (or your parent’s) money where your mouth is. You want to be a physicist/mad scientist? Have at it. Work hard, push yourself and remember if you slack, you are only wasting your own money (or your parents, which also sucks).

Also, remember that changing majors is something that many college students do. Maybe you just aren’t cut out for the course load. And that is just fine. It takes guts, and it take a big deal of courage to change majors. Don’t be afraid — this is your future. Be analytical and ask yourself important questions regarding your future career.

Ask your friends, too. Friends. Hold onto them for dear life. Things are going to change, and in most cases, their life will change along with yours.

Remember you might not meet your best friends today, you might not meet them tomorrow, but you still need to put yourself out there. Join a club or a student run organization. Go out and meet new people.

In some cases your roommate will understand you the best. In some cases they won’t. No matter what, you must live in this world with good friends.

Going it alone in college is next to impossible.

Your best friends will take care of you when you are too drunk (not that college students do that), they will push you to be the best you can be, and you will push them as well. Unless you’re an engineer, where most of your conversations with friends is about how much you hate your class load.

Be critical of your friends, don’t hang around the wrong crowd. Surround yourself with people who are ready to be a lifelong pals. People who are dedicated, who have passion, people who are on the same page as you. Never try to drag your friends through life; you will inevitably drag yourself through the mud for a good deal of that time.

Remember in the end though, this is college.

This is a huge change, and as upperclassmen we have to say, welcome. We have all been there: missing parents, all-nighters and being poor as hell. So this fall, if you are lost wandering aimlessly around campus, speak up. Ask those seasoned Bison, “Where is Gate City Bank?”

“Where is my dorm?”

“Do I have to pay for football games?”

We won’t laugh too loudly because we have all asked the same questions. Welcome to NDSU, and we wish the best for you with your college experience.