This past Monday was full of excitement as University of Denver students eagerly prepared for the first classes of the 2022-2023 school year. As an incoming senior, I thought “I’ve got this.” I mean, I have been doing this for quite some time, right? Wrong.

In my experience, the beginning of the school year is always unnecessarily overwhelming, and this year was no exception. No matter how much prep you do, something will creep up on you that you can’t expect or plan for.

So, let’s backtrack, shall we? Last week of summer break, when you suddenly start to get those “welcome to my class” emails– you know how it is. Classes haven’t even started yet, and you’re already told to read the first few chapters of whatever textbook you’re forced into buying. You hit the bookstore and say goodbye to your paycheck. All of that, just to come into class with the first random classmate you see asking you, “Did you do the readings?” 

Of course you have, you were clearly given instructions to do so, so you should, right? Well, it seems nobody else did but you. You realize you’re considered an overachiever for doing the bare minimum, and it kind of feels good.

Your professor enters the classroom, and now we get to syllabus day. They’ll go through about three months’ worth of carefully-scheduled work, their guidelines, rules and expectations for the class. Most of your professors will generally give the same spiel. Although, you will without a doubt have one or two professors that terrify you for what’s to come next based on the jam-packed syllabus, and the ominous “Don’t miss class, or else…” guilt trip. You’re sitting there thinking, “Wow, this sounds serious! I won’t miss it!” Again, you’ll realize your classmates aren’t on the same page when half of them start dropping like flies after week two. 

And don’t even get me started on freshmen move-in! If you happen to step foot on campus for even a split second during these few days, and you start to get the orientation you never had during COVID-19. “Hi! Can I help you? Do you know where you’re going?” other volunteers from your same year will ask you. You’ll feel almost offended, like “I’m a senior! I’m one of you!” and then you’ll remember how disoriented you feel every time you walk out of Coors Fitness Center into the Ritchie Center, and you humble yourself.

For some reason, even at a school with about 11,600 students, you will find yourself seeing the same few all over campus. I know that happened to me multiple times this past week, like “Man! This kid is everywhere!” As a senior, you somehow still get lost when walking around on campus, but do you recognize seeing the same couple kids a bunch of times in a matter of only a few days? Make it make sense. I like to think of those who cross my path as my buddies, feeling a sense of comfort in seeing them in the Community Commons at the same time as me.

My point is, it doesn’t matter how long you’re at school, you’ll always forget how much work the first week is regardless of how prepared you feel. Professors that never mentioned needing any materials will throw curve balls at you, expecting you to return to your next class with books you need advance notice to get. Not all of your classmates will hold themselves to this standard, regardless of the consequences. You’ll still feel utterly confused by the general directions of buildings on campus that you’ve been going to for years. But seeing the same faces will provide you with a sense of familiarity, community, and belonging that you don’t feel anywhere else. GO DU!