Katie Cleghorn, a new Tulanian

The first thing you should know is that I am an incredibly awkward person. 

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I shall continue with my introduction. 

My name is Katie. Okay, all right, it's technically Savannah but, as much as I love my parents, their decision to name me after Jimmy Buffett's daughter isn't one I'm particularly proud of. I am a high school senior (less than two months until graduation!) and, as of about a month ago, I will be attending Tulane next year. 

My vert best friend

So, I'm a huge nerd. I'm just going to put that out there right now. I skipped eighth grade and so I'll be barely seventeen when I start school next fall. I am planning on double-majoring in political science and neuroscience and, being as geeky as I am, I've already picked out which classes I'm going to take next semester. I'm also really into biographies and stuff of the like, so I'm thinking about minoring in history. I'm mildly obsessed with Harry Potter and England. I'm actually going to London for the first time this summer. I'm really into YouTube and will be going to VidCon in Anaheim this summer. I'm also a musician and I've opened for a bunch of really great musicians, although I'm not sure how exactly that happened.

This is me playing last February after Billy Currington!  

While in high school (okay, I'm still technically IN high school but a girl can pretend), I changed schools five times. Yeah, I know. That's a lot. For the most part it wasn't my choice. The homeschool I went to freshman year kind of fell apart and my family and I moved back to Nashville after my sophomore year. The other changes were purely me, though. (Just for future reference, don't agree to go to boarding school unless you're absolutely sure.) Because I changed schools so often, I never really got involved in school activities. When I get to Tulane, I'll probably go insane with all of the choices. I really want to join a sorority (for some reason unbeknownst to me) and the student government. I'm also up for any Harry Potter clubs or club sports. I find the Hullabaloo really interesting, too. (I realize that kind of rhymed. It was not meant to.) If you couldn't tell, I'm ridiculously excited for this fall. 

Okay, so that's me. I'm going to end it here before it gets too unbearably awkward. Thanks for listening! Or reading, I guess…

Choosing (and loving) Your Freshman Dorm

Guest blogger: Laura Manning

Your freshman dorm is one of the first major choices you make as an incoming student at Tulane, and arguably one of the most important. The options seem nearly endless, with six freshmen housing options and countless different combinations within those six buildings. Here are some general tips that I wish someone had told me before making my freshman commitment!

1. Don’t rely on pictures from the housing website. I spent hours and hours agonizing over the handful of images of each dorm, and looking at their floor plans. Totally not worth it! Many of those pictures are outdated, and fail to take into account your personal style, which will make any dorm room seem more “homey” than stock photos of boring staples.
2. Don’t go random. Luckily I found a wonderful roommate on Facebook and ended up having a great year living with her in Sharp. Many of my friends were not quite as lucky. Tulane offers many services to help you match up with someone based on living preferences. Use them.
3. Know that the decision doesn’t have to be permanent. Sometimes students just aren’t meant to live together, and that’s okay. Housing understands, and will work to help you find a situation that you’re comfortable with. Knowing that back up exists in case things go wrong is so relieving. 
4. Buy a mattress “topper”. Trust me. There is only so much comfort that can be achieved from a twin mattress without box springs. Investing in a mattress topper is a purchase you won’t regret… and can use again in your sophomore year dorm. Many students opt for egg crate foam or down filled additions.

5. Keep an open mind. Your dorm will ultimately be what you make of it. Bring comforting items from home, picture frames, favorite blankets, and whatever else it takes to make you feel relaxed in a new space. No dorm will look perfect when you open that door for the first time, but with a few welcoming touches, it will quickly become a place that you can truly call “home”.

The dorms offer a wide variety of spaces designed for pretty much any personality. Whether you choose the traditional route of Monroe, Sharp, or Butler, or opt for a women-only experience in JL, joining a Residential College in Wall, or a wellness community in Paterson, there will be myriad options for you to deliberate between. Each dorm has its own individual personality, and it is ultimately up to you to embrace the lifestyle you will adopt while living there!

Orientation Experience

Guest blogger: Darryl Farley

Student orientation is one of the most important parts of getting acclimated to the college experience.  Coming from high school you have no idea how the college life is going to be.  In most cases, the experience is not quite like they are portrayed in movies. Having student orientation gives you a better idea of how college really is. In the student orientation you meet other incoming freshmen and a couple of upperclassmen that share their experiences. The orientation staff shows you around the campus, explaining the history of the different buildings and facilities along with the opportunities that the school has to offer. The orientation also welcomes parents to tour the campus and see the place their children will consider their new home for the next four years.

Once you get to the student orientation you will have a lot of feelings and emotions running through your body:  excitement, nervous, freedom and etc. You will be concerned about how you will make friend, but stuck on the fact that you will be leaving home, becoming independent. There is no need to worry about making friends because the student orientation designs ice breaker games to get everybody talking. The students and orientation coordinator gets in a big circle and go around telling their name, where they are from, and what they plan on majoring in. Students realize they have something in common with the other students and they began to talk amongst one another. This game really works because the same people I met in orientation are some of my closest friends today.

                  The student orientation takes you around to freshmen dorms and you are able to see where you will be staying for the school year. They also take you around to the different schools at Tulane such as the A.B. Freeman School of Business, School of Liberal Arts, etc. This give you an idea of where you will be taking majority of your classes and so you won’t be looking lost on the first day of class.

                                                     

                  Take advantage of your orientation experience because it will be something you will never forget. The friends you meet at orientation will be your friends for a lifetime. The education you receive at Tulane will also stick with you for a lifetime.

Study Abroad

Guest blogger: James Couturier

Studying Abroad is something special… An important moment in your student life. It is the moment of many “first times”: it is the first time you leave home, the first time you live on you own, the first time you come to a new country for such a period of time. And what can be a better place to study abroad than New Orleans? I made this choice because I wanted to discover a different side of the United States. And I am really happy with my choice!
As a matter of fact, I am going to tell you what it is like to be an exchange student in New Orleans and I will try to give a quick view of the spots I go in my everyday life.

The first good thing that happened to me is that I arrived the day before the BCS National Championship game between Louisiana State University and University of Alabama. Trust me, if you’re thinking of coming to study in New Orleans, you will need to understand the rules of football.

Furthermore another thing that surprised me when I arrived to New Orleans and also to Tulane, is the kindness of the people in this city. It is incredible to see how friendly and welcoming the people are in New Orleans; in restaurants, in the street-cars, at Tulane, in the street… everywhere. The other day, I was shopping and a woman who worked there told us the best places to listen to jazz. Every time, people find out you are not from New Orleans and they help you find your way and  give advice. If they see you are lost and looking at a map, they will help you.

It will be difficult to talk about New Orleans without mentioning Mardi Gras, the craziest, longest, coolest party in the world. I have been hearing for almost a year “Mardi Gras is great, Mardi is going to be one of the best moments of your life”. And you know what? This is true. It is incredible to see so many people enjoying the exact same moment of the year, seeing all those costumes, all those parades. I learned that almost 2 million people come each year to New Orleans for this event. I found it magical to see all those people throwing beads and decorated shoes, and also watching all the cheerleaders and bands from so many schools and universities.  As everyone told me, it will definitely be a moment that I will never forget.

The “Big-Easy” is also a city full of history, especially for music. Certain people will consider New Orleans as the “Mecca” of Jazz and Blues. You have the possibility to listen to music everywhere. Maple Leaf is a fantastic place for music.  You also have the famous French Quarter. People play in the street but there are also famous music clubs such as the Preservation Hall or the Maison Bourbon Jazz Club.

Finally, the best thing about studying abroad is that you have the opportunity to meet so many great people from all around the world. You make some friends and enjoy the moments you spend with them either in class or during parties. I am sure that I will see some of the people I met here again even after I leave New Orleans. It is enriching to discover new cultures and new people.

Definitely, studying abroad is a something special and I think every student should take advantage of it because it is one of the best moments of my life. But studying abroad wouldn’t be the same if it was not in New Orleans.