Been there, Done that

I'm a little sad. No, actaully I am a little nostalgic. For the past four years, at this same tine, I have been getting ready to go back to school (well technically for the past 17 years); however, for the purpose of this post, I am referring to college.

NSO (New Student Orientation) is truly like a good bottle of wine...it only gets better with age.

As an incoming freshman, I was young and naive. I had no clue that people drank obscence amounts of potent
red juice from trashbarrel, that it WASN'T cool to wear your logo hoodie out to a party at night, or that 12 midnight was when all of the action started-not when I should be going to bed. By the end of NSO week my freshamn year (Mom and Dad, don't judge me for this; Colleen, don't let this be your role model) I had: gone out in a Toga and woke up in it at 11am the following day; drank approximatly 25 beers, 30 shots of cheap-cheap-cheap alcohol, and more *Jungle Juice* than I ever care to imagine; was no longer an "Ice Luge" Virgin; had tasted a jello shot for at least 15 flavors of jello (my advice, avoid the cherry-lime); thrown up in the bushes outside my dorm; and been 'that girl' making out with the boy in corner/on the street/on Locust Walk/in the Hallway/in my room/in his room (hey, he did turn out to be my boyfriend). Anyways,my point is that a week can change a person; nevertheless, I can say that I never sacrificed what I stood for, or compromised my beliefs.

With the three following NSO's, each one got better. It was no longer about finding the best fraternity party, but rather about hosting the best 'off campus' party. It was a time to go out and see your friends, or to drunkenly to seek out your 'frenemies". Let's just say that by senior year NSO I didn't step into one fraterniy house, but I had an experience that rivaled any of my preceding experiences.

As the last few weeks have quickly passed, the Bed Bath & Beyond/Target/Office Max/Best Buy 'BACK TO SCHOOL' fliers have cllutterd my mailbox; however, it wasn't until I got the "Welcome Back To School Message' on my old student email account that it hit me...I'm no longer a student playing nurse, but now I'm a nurse playing grownup. The more and more I thought about it, I decided I would make a "Survival Kit" for all those who are beginning their college experience.

Here's to all incoming freshaman: may all your liver's detoxify, your bank accounts survive, and your experiences be captured into wonderful memories that you will forever hold onto...

A Survival Kit

1. A Toothbrush- you’d be amazed at how thankful you’ll be for an “extra” when you accidentally drop yours on the bathroom floor at ngodly hours of the nght/early morning
2. Toothpaste- hang up posters and nail things to the wall without worry…when you go to move out, it magically fills the holes!
3. Sewing Kit- buttons always seem to come off the shirt that you were planning on wearing…the home ec skills come back instantaneously
4. Make-up Brushes- nope, not for making yourself glamorous for the 9am class, but rather for cleaning out the dust and crumbs from your computer keyboard (have you ever tried to type a paper when the spacebar is jammed??)
5. Hairbrushes- a girl can never have too many, right? Actually, they make amazing microphones for impromptu late night dance parties
6. First Aid Kit- hey, I’m a nurse, I couldn’t resist ☺
7. Pumice Stone- it’s inevitable, flip flops will become your favorite pair of shoes (for both their ease of putting on and wet weather durability) and your heels will take a beating.
8. A Loofa- the string is key, lesser chance of it hitting the communal shower floor!
9. Nail Kit- always carry it with you (Except on airplanes)…there is nothing worse than trying to sit through a 3 hour lecture with a hangnail
10. A Flashlight- when the power goes out, do you really want to be trapped without a light to drink by (I mean…study by)
11. Cough drops- close living quarters + flu season + sleep deprivation + too much yelling over the loud music the night before= sore throat
12. Solo Cups- let’s face it, sharing cups = mono…always be prepared!
13. Batteries- your graphing calculator will inevitably run out of batteries on the morning if your math final
14. Nalgene Bottle- after a night of drinking, HYDRATION! HYDRATION! HYDRATION
15. Ibuprofen- NEVER take Tylenol with alcohol, your liver will NOT like you. Pop the Advil/Motrin/Aleve
16. A Picture of Your Family- some days suck, sometimes you may be tempted to do things that are uncharacteristic of your upbringing, sometimes you just need to see a familiar ‘face’…keep it close by
17. Air freshener- I’m not sure why, but even the cleanest of people’s dorm rooms develop a funky smell…when other people come to your room, blame the odor your roommate
18. Extension Cords- in the day and age of electronics, you’ll never have enough outlets and/or they are poorly placed
19. Tea –when its too cold to go get a latte, there’s nothing like some tea to warm you up!
20. Crystal Light- an essential “beverage” mixer
21. Animal Crackers- for when you really want to bite someone’s head off
22. Disposable Camera-for capturing those candid moments and/or for the events where you don’t want to loose that digital camera
23. Screw Driver- boys love girls with tools!
24. Tissues- for saying goodbye to mom and dad, or incase the love of your life breaks your heart (trust me, it happens ☹)
25. Q-tips- I’m not really sure what their function is, well unless you have lots of earwax
26. Dental Floss- better than string, the possibilities are endless! Hint: don’t be afraid to use it with the sewing kit
27. Razors- you don’t want to be known as the “earthy girl”
28. Gum- its way overpriced in the student hall and it doubles as a method to hang up posters
29. Post-its- I swear, writing lists on paper that can be ‘stuck anywhere’ makes life seem more organized
30. An Open Mind- don’t close your self off to new experiences, don’ think that you have to be the same person you were in high school OR, conversely, that you have to change who you have been all along. Embrace what life throws your way. These will be the best four years of your life.