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The packing list: possibly the most exciting part of the entire pre-frosh experience. There’s nothing quite like that first pilgrimage to Bed Bath and Beyond, walking through the forest of twin XL sheets and Premium, Ultra High Thread Count, Norwegian-Silk-Worm-Excrement-Infused ® towels. Every which way you look there’s something else that you couldn’t possibly live without in the perfect dorm room you’ve conjured up in your head. In past years the Wesleying packing list has been incredibly comprehensive in case you were going to forget your doormat. However more recently we’ve been trying to shorten the list a little. Anything we take off will be mentioned at the bottom of this post. I’m also going to plug  Wesleyan’s Waste Not Sale . In the spring of the previous year, students are invited to donate any items they no longer want to Waste Not. The Waste Not Sale takes place in the first couple days of school and is a great place to pick up a lot of things on this list for low prices. Profits from the Waste Not Sale go towards environmentally-based projects, local charities, and financial aid. This year the sale is on August 31st, 12-3 and September 1st, 10-1. Don't miss out! Please keep in mind however that Waste Not items may run out, so it’s your call if you want to buy an item before you arrive or at Wesleyan. The Waste Not Sale gets crowded fast, so you want to get there  early  (like earlier than whatever you think is early) and be prepared to have to wait an hour or so in line. Its hectic, but you can hang with all your new friends and meet people.  Waste not madness The list below is broken down into different general categories. Lots of the stuff like pens and notebooks may appear pretty obvious but I’ll put it in there in case you enjoy crossing things out. But without further ado: Study Laptop (Also a laptop sleeve) Pens Pencils (Mechanical ones are nice) Notebooks (You need 8 max, but if you’re good at managing your space you can probably do it with 2 or 3) Desk lamp (Wesleyan does not provide desk lamps so this is a big one) Sticky notes (useful for reminders) A marker or sharpie Scissors Ruler Stapler (It can be nice to have a mini stapler in your backpack for when you need to staple your homework before you turn it in. I made my entire freshman math class indebted to me this way) Pencil Holder Calculator (If you’re planning on taking a class that may require one: mainly in STEM or econ) Folders/binders (might be useful for keeping readings organized although not necessary) Organize Backpack Good ol’ milk crates (or just storage bins if you like your room to look nice) Little whiteboard for your door (Penis drawings become an art form) Command strips/hooks (these are a game changer for hanging things) Organizing trays Sewing kit (I bought one and I used it so you never know, but if you don’t bring one someone will let you borrow one) Scotch Tape (bc why not) Lounge Rug (Really ties the room together) Editor’s note: if you can get a washable rug, you will be so grateful. My rug last year held at least 6 different types of bodily fluids and the next global pandemic and even the strongest vacuum could not salvage it in the slightest Extension cord (I’d recommend waiting until you see your room and then buying one after, some rooms have an insane number out outlets while others only have one or two) Headphone/Earbuds (Definitely worth having) Speaker Mirror Photos from home and some way of putting them up Posters/art Fan (can be super useful for those three weeks of heat right before winter starts) Books (Even if you probably won’t have time to read them) Chair/beanbag (Nice for when people are hanging out and there isn’t enough space on the bed) Bathe (All toiletries, body wash, shampoo, and the like are available at Weshop if you don’t want to have to travel with them) Towels (Two or three is ideal) Bathrobe (Actually super nice to have) SHOWER FLIP FLOPS (Think of the generations of people who have used that shower before you and all the things that have touched that shower floor, do you really want your feet to be in contact with that?) Shower caddy - get a mesh one! Comb Hair dryer Body wash Shampoo/Conditioner Razor/shaving cream Facewash Face lotion Lip balm (pretty useful) Deodorant Body lotion Toothbrush and toothpaste Floss Nail clippers SUNSCREEN (Yes you can get sunburns even in the winter because the white snow reflects) Sleep Twin XL sheets (might be worth getting 2 sets although this isn’t necessary) Pillows (Tip: you use a pillow every single day, invest in a good one) Mattress pad (This is basically essential.  Different levels of mattress pads do exist, choose carefully or you might end up with a meh sheet of foam that doesn’t do much) Comforter/comfy blankets (Something nice and comfy) Sleeping bag/light blanket (If you have a sleeping bag and have space to bring it you might as well because you never know, otherwise it’s not too necessary) Health Stuff Your prescriptions (There is a pharmacy in the Walgreens down the road for potential refills) Band-Aids Ibuprofen Thermometer Cough Drops Facemasks - for covid and wesplague alike Contacts/contacts solution and case/glasses Coldeze/Motrin/Emergen-C (If you have a cold you can ask the health center for a cold kit, which includes “common over the counter medicine, cough drops and other goodies to help relieve some of your cold symptoms.”) Tampons and p ads Vitamins Hand sanitizer (If you’re on the move, ya gotta) [Editors’ note: Gatorade and its more sophisticated cousin Pedialyte. You’ll thank us later.] Clean Air freshener of some sort (Also available at Weshop) Laundry hamper (Must have) Laundry detergent/pods (Check out these cheap laundry sheets that Wesleyan has dispensors for on campus) Editor’s note:  allllllright. we all know you’re buying tide pods for a lil midnight snacc.  But actually, tide pods are an environmental nightmare and don’t disintegrate completely, which might even ruin your EDGY ALL-BLACK WARDROBE too, so stick with some good old powder or liquid detergent. Wear your clothes in the shower. 2 for 1. And when you inevitably lock yourself out of your room, you won’t be chilling in a tiny-ass towel waiting for your roommate to come back from basketball practice because you forgot your phone in your room. The room that you locked. Seems personal but ok Tide Pen (Pretty useful) Vacuum (Essential if you have a rug, all sorts of stuff will get in there) Paper towels (Useful, but instead of packing these buy them at Weshop) Trash bin (Wesleyan does not provide these) Recycling bin Trash bags All-purpose cleaner (Great for quickly cleaning shared spaces and keeping yourself COVID-free!) Eat (Most of this stuff I wouldn’t pack and instead just buy when I arrive. Price Chopper on Wash is cheap & good!) (editor’s note 2019: everything on this list is huge, pls invest) Refrigerator (Actually pretty nice to have) (you can 100% Waste Not it but also look out for upperclassmen selling there’s on wesadmits!) Microwave (available in all dorm kitchens, but may also be nice to have) Microwave safe bowl/plate Electric Water Boiler Tupperware (Super useful for when you want to take some food from Usdan for later) Mug (you can get so many cool ones from waste not from years past) (you can also get shot glasses at Waste Not lmao) Travel mug Water bottle Utensils Cups (You can get real cups and be fancy but you can also just get solo cups at Weshop) Dishes (Not super necessary. You can go fancy and get real plates or just skip the trouble and get some disposable ones at Weshop) Bottle opener (Also available at Weshop) Zip Lock bags SNACKS!! (Maybe some of those Wesleying famous chocolate acai berries) Dress Hangers (you can get tons and tons and tons and tons of these at Waste Not) Boots for the winter (of the rain and snow variety) Good ol’ normal shoes Maybe some nicer ones too Socks Shirts Sweater/hoodie Light and heavy jackets Bottoms: pants/skirts/tights Work out clothes Sweats/loungewear Lots and lots of underwear (Like socks, you can never have too many pairs) Things to keep you warm: Hat/gloves/scarf Umbrella Accessories: jewelry/bags/sunglasses/watch Swimsuit Recommended: One v fancy outfit for a ~formal~ that you’ll always hope to be, but never actually are, invited to. Formal season is a  thing.  it’s a  thing.  Specific Wesleyan Move in Stuff You’ll probably get a list of things to bring with you to orientation, but it’s a smart idea to bring a government-issued ID, your bank account info (account/routing number) if you’re applying for a campus job. Debit/credit card/$$$$ (#expensleyan) Things from past year’s lists that didn’t make this year’s USB drive White-out Eraser Swiss army knife (could be useful, but not necessary) Envelopes/Stamps (If you need these you can buy them at WesStation on campus) Duffel bag (if you’re bringing one hopefully you’re packing stuff inside it and therefore don’t forget it) Tacky adhesive (command strips are better) Flashlight (Most phones have this capability now) Batteries (These are only useful if you’re bringing something that requires batteries and virtually nothing else on this list uses batteries) Screwdriver (unless you’re the sort of person who is fiddling with things a lot, there’s always someone you can borrow a screwdriver from though) Phone and phone charger (It’d be impressive to forget these two) Doormat (why was this on the list? meli’s note: WHY NOT) Washcloths (If you have towels they all become one) Alarm clock/radio (We have phones now so this is a little excessive.  If you’re the sort who needs more than one alarm to wake up an alarm clock may be useful however) Printers (no one I know actually uses their printer) Tissue boxes/Facial tissues (Don’t pack this unless you need it for the trip. They are readily available at Weshop) Pepto Bismol (If you need it you can get it at Weshop) Dishwashing soap/sponge (Not really necessary unless you plan on doing a lot of cooking.  Even then in many dorms there’s at least a communal dish soap) Plastic bags (I don’t know what these are intended for, maybe to replace trash bags? I suppose they could also be a “You never know” item) Big whiteboard for inside your room (can do wonders for your organization and time management) Cutting knife/board (Unless you’re going to be a real dorm chef. I definitely recommend buying these in Middletown) Safety pins (These could be useful in certain situations but you can probably just borrow them or buy some at Weshop when they become necessary) Car registration, insurance, and $100 for those bringing a car to campus (This isn’t necessary as you can register your car  online . Please don’t forget to bring your registration and insurance info though) Iron/ ironing board (If you’re trying to be fancy I guess. There’s always the old shower steam trick) Happy packing!

Dear frosh of 2028, As you are probably fretting about your first day of college, a sense of melancholy (or jittery excitement if you hated high school) has creeped up on you. Are you making lists of toiletries and gettin g boxes from Staples to pack your life into? Wondering how much action your soon-to-be bed has gotten in the past? A lot, probably. But don’t be too frazzled. Before you finish your housing form, get your roommate(s) assignment, and make yourself sick with what-ifs and worries, Wesleying ‘s here to answer your 40ish most pressing questions related t o waking-up-and-instantly-having-200-or-so-of-your-peers-to-hang-out-with. The pertinent FAQ doesn’t change much from year to year, so we tend to update/repost much of the original guide by Norse Goddess Holly-and-Xue ’08 (cuz i t’s still damn good and we’re still damn lazy) every year. This re-vamped guide is up to date and full of Wesleyan lingo: Q: How are the dorms furnished? This varies by dorm. All rooms have a bed, desk, chair, and some sort of dresser/closet for each inhabitant. Most, but not all, also have shelving, whether it’s a separate bookcase or planks stapled to the wall. If you’re extra lucky, you might even get a corkboard panel on your wall (like in some WestCo or Nics rooms). But Bennet only has dressers and a singular pole to hang your clothes on. That’s right, Bennet Hall, not even a closet. But you guys still get AC and drywall and a general lack of decrepitness. Q: Are there floor plans I can look at? Yes: This Link will satisfy all your floor plan needs. Q: How big are the freshman rooms? Big enough. Or real big. Here are our personal sizing estimates: Clark : You'll share a small room with one or two other people. The triples are SMALL. Bennet: Pretty much the same as Clark, but its really mostly just doubles at this point. Shout out to my other 2025 homies who went through the forced Bennet triples. Butts : You'll either have one of the biggest rooms on campus or a closet for a bedroom. There are singles, doubles, and triples in Butts. The triples could probably fit your whole hallway plus more if you tried. The singles on the other hand...well, just be grateful you don't have roommates. The first floor is renovated and feels a little more spacious without the cinderblock walls. At least you'll have big windows! Nics:  Single? See Butts single. Two-room double? The best of two worlds: having a roommate and having your own room. One-room double? Sucks if you’re in the dungeonbasement. WestCo: Mostly consists of two room doubles and some singles. There is one hall with four one-room doubles, which are pretty big and carpeted, with stony walls. If you get a two-room double, take the inner room! Endless amounts of closet space await you. 200 Church: An ’08 student says, “Normal-ish in most all ways including size but the walls are so fucking thin you can hear people next door breathe. But geez, you can’t beat the location.” Q: I’ve been assigned to ‘Bennet Hall.’ Where is that? Here. Close to the Freeman Athletic Center (because that’s why you’re really asking). Q: I got stuck in the Butts. Wah wah wah . Many of our friends lived in the Butts last year. You will also know many people who live there. The Butts are actually Wesleyan’s best kept secret. They have their own dining hall, the rooms are spacious and have a lot of natural light, the showers kind of suck but ResLife makes up for it in their attempts at creating a Butts community. (editor's note: I was an RA in Butts for the past two years and honestly I promise you'll come to love the butts, fires floods and all) to you its the butts, to me it's a home <3 Q: Okay, okay, but what is it like living in all the other dorms? A: Well, here’s what these folks have to say: Azher Jaweed ’19 on 200 Church: “Church made my transition from home to dorm easier, providing a comfortable place for me to come home after a long day of readings and assignment. Our communal commitment to social justice and activism brought us together, and there is no other place I’d rather have been during my freshmen year.” Taylor Dillon ’19 on Butts: ” Living in the Butts (Butterfields) is a great time all around. If you’re in a triple in the butts, you’re guaranteed a huge space with air conditioning. There is a dining table in Butt A’s kitchen, as well as a large seating area with a TV just outside of the kitchen where people watch games, play Super Smash Bros, and do homework during the week. The location is one of the best part of the Butterfield dorms. The “Butthole” is the space in between all of the Butterfield dorms and is a great place to do homework on a sunny day, or eat your Summerfield takeout in. Lastly, the community in the Butts is great because you have both Freshman and Sophomore students living in the dorms. This means you have a good opportunity to meet people in a different class while living in the Butts. Sophomore transfers often live in Butt B and the Copes (small halls filled with just Sophomores) are in every single Butterfield building. Overall, the Butterfield dorms offer a unique experience where Freshman can meet upperclassmen and create a community spanning across three different dorms. Alexis Jiminez ’19 on Writer’s Block: “Writer’s Block is a really chill place to live – its a relatively small group, which means you can get comfortable and make friends really easily. It is a program house you can easily spend all your time in; most rooms are singles that make it great for studying, but the moment you need some company, you can go to the lounge and you will always find someone to talk to.” Ray Achan ’19 on Bennet: “Bennet is a friendly environment. I quickly became close to everyone in my hall.” Aviv Rau ’19 on Clark: “Clark often gets stereotyped as the “athletes’ dorm,” (which isn’t necessarily false) but it’s diverse both in student interests and demographically. Overall, Clark has great study lounges, AC (!), an elevator, and is conveniently located, so you’ll grow to love living there.” Will Barr ’18 on WestCo : “I lived in WestCo both my Freshman and Sophomore year. WestCo tends to attract artistically-minded people to its community, which I like to describe as traditionally non-traditional. WestCo has been a community on campus for decades, and throws a magical springtime celebration every year for like a lot of years (20? 30?). There are also cool tunnels. It has a progressive history, with Up2 being the first mixed-gender hall at Wesleyan and the first hall to establish gender-neutral bathrooms. Which speaks to WestCo’s tradition of self-governance. WestCo has a weekly community meeting where we do fun things, have group hugs, and talk about important things. WestCo also has its own artistic venue that has hosted everything from sleepovers, performance art, photography shows, open mics, ciphers, poetry readings, plays, and dance performances. It’s a groovy place. Q: How big are the beds? Twin Extra Long : too big for your sheets and too narrow for imaginative sex. Be aware that some mattress pads that  claim  to be twin XL  are not.  Q: What’s the deal with my roommate(s)? Who are they? Congrats! You know (hopefully) your roommates! Their name(s) will show up in your WesPortal soon, and they’re probably going to be the person or people you’ll be eating several of your Usdan meals with. Q: OMG I HATE MY ROOMMATE. Can I get rid of hir? Speak to your Resident Advisor. You can request a room change if absolutely necessary. No matter what, remember that you don’t have to be close with your roommate, as long as you communicate well. Q: “Hir?” “Hir” and “ze” are gender-neutral pronouns used in place of “him/her” and “he/she,” respectively. A lot of people also use “they/them.” There are people on campus who prefer to be addressed using gender-neutral pronouns. They’re also useful when you’re unsure of a person’s gender. This will be explained to you during Orientation. Q: What’s with the gender-neutral bathrooms? In most of the dorms, you pee/poop/shower (hehe) with the other gender(s). Some halls vote on whether or not they’d like gender-neutral bathrooms during Orientation. Q: What are the fire hazard rules in my dorm? Will I get in trouble for bringing my psychedelic blacklight tapestries?! Fuck, man! These are the fire safety guidelines . You’re not allowed to have candles, incense, halogen lamps, and appliances without automatic shutoff, among other things. You’re also not allowed to smoke within close proximity to any University buildings. Fire inspections are performed once or twice a year (in some dorms more than others). There are fire drills. Most people disregard the fire hazard policies entirely, but Fire Safety can monitor which rooms/halls do this more than others. People get fined quite a bit, so be careful/discreet . Q: Can I paint my room? No, because then you would get fined. These are all the things you can get fined for. You can try to paint a mural in your hall; just ask your RA at the beginning of the year about this (a form needs to be filled out with ResLife). Q: How do I get shit to stick to my walls? Double-sided tape. Duct tape. Packaging tape. Experiment with different tapes and sticky things, just don’t make holes in your walls (you’ll be fined). (Unless they’re really tiny invisible holes. Most dorms are cinderblock so it’ll be hard to pushpin everything. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to find one hole that is located perfectly for your tapestry .) Generally speaking, anything that doesn’t ruin your posters won’t stick to the cinderblock. People in Bennet and Clark have it easier since they have drywall. Command strips are decently helpful, and as long as they survive the first month of humidity, they’ll last the year. ( un meli-melo ‘s note: to be perfectly honest, making sure your walls remain pure will be an end of the year stress. Pro-tip: if/when some paint chips come off then, use toothpaste or go to Home Depot and ask for Wesleyan White. I personally used a knife to get at the bits of Command strips that wouldn’t get off my wall, and now I have a dulled knife.) Q: Should I get extra lighting for my room? There is a harsh fluorescent ceiling light for every room. Many of my friends call it homophobic lighting. But soft lighting is nice to have, so get whichever cool glowy lamp thing from Ikea you want. Or christmas/non-denominational-holiday lights. They’re cheap and wonderful. Q : Should I bring a rug? What size? Rugs make your room cozier and you’ll be glad to have one in the winter. A two-room double floor in the Nics or WestCo is nicely covered (from your bed to your desk) by an 8? x 10?. If you’re in a single in the Butts or the Nics, perhaps a 5? x 7? would be better. In a one room double or triple, speak to your roommate(s) about how much you’d want to fill up floor space and go from there. Q: Where can I buy things for my room after I move in? Definitely stop by the Waste Not! tag sale on August 31st, 12-3 and September 1st, 10-1. Get there early !!. Waste Not! collects students’ unwanted furniture at the end of the year, and sells them for great prices during move-in weekend. You should definitely stop by on Saturday because there may not be much left on Sunday. Q. Can I study in my room? Not recommended. You will always be an arm’s length away from doing something else, and when you’re being forced to find a derivative 30 times for a problem set, it’s suddenly really appealing to start watching the tape holding your posters up slowly slide off the cinderblock wall. If you’re into group work, Sci Li will be your new home. Q: My clothes smell funny…? Washing machines are free now!! but unfortunately they sometimes look like this: clean up people Q: WesID card? Middletown Cash? Points? WTF? Your WesCard is your lifeline. You’ll get it during Orientation. Do not lose it or it’ll cost you money. You need it for food, mail, access to buildings and to laugh at your ID photo for the entirety of your college career. Points are the default meal plan monopoly money; upperclassmen are on all-points, but frosh and sophomores have a set number of “meals” and then a handful of points. Middletown Cash is different from points. You can use it at certain restaurants in Middletown as well as for laundry, and it carries over from year to year (points don’t). Q: So where do I eat? There are lots of options on campus. There are also lots of options in Middletown and within driving distance. Check out Frank Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven if you’re by the train station, or just want good pizza. You can also text in your order to Summerfields! Text your order to 860-759-9700 , receive an order number and go to the express pick up to pay without waiting in line! ( maury ‘s note: although sometimes the text line is longer than the normal line, so keep that in mind) Q: How do I register my car? Bring your insurance, registration, and $100 to the Office of Public Safety (on High Street). You will then get a sticker to place in the rear window of your car designating that it’s registered. The sticker will indicate what year you are and thus the appropriate parking lot you should be in. All freshmen must park their cars in the V-lot. P-Safe and the University is not too keen on frosh bringing their cars anymore, so make sure to get approved for a parking permit asap! More info here . Q: I don’t have a car! What do I do? To quote Droz from PCU (the movie everyone knows is based on Wesleyan and won’t shut up about): “Will you have a car? Someone on your hall will. Find them and make friends with them on the first day.” Or use a bike. I kind of feel bad for the kids who bring cars and end up leaving them to rust in the parking lot because campus is so small. Q: HOW DO I GET HOME TO MOMMYZ AND DADDYZ?! There is a shuttle that goes on weekends to Bradley Airport and the New Haven Train Station. Metro North sells tickets to Grand Central Station, and other Connecticut/New York locations. The closest Amtrak station is in Meriden, CT, about 20 minutes away by car. Q: How far away is New York and/or Boston by car? Shut up. You’ll never go. Q: Seriously! A: Okay, they are each about two hours away ( Middle town is not a misnomer). Hartford is about 30 minutes away and so is New Haven. Q: Should I bring a bike? If you want to, sure. The campus is walkable and a bike isn’t necessary, but it is useful to have around, especially to get to Middletown. The Wesleyan Outing Club often sponsors bike rides throughout the area, and if you need to go from the Butts to the CFA in a hurry, a bike really comes in handy (just make sure you bring a solid U-lock). Just know that campus is  definitely  not flat, so you will develop some extreme calf power. Q: What’s in Middletown? Decapitated deer heads. Lots of things (if you stop bitching that it’s not New York). Impressive selection of food, a nd overall a great town with lots of cool history. Q: Is there anywhere to go swimming? Miller’s Pond is conveniently located about 5 miles away… which is slightly too far to walk but provides another reason to bring your bike. The Freeman Athletics Center has a pool. Q: Can I bring my dog/cat/bearded dragon/leopard gecko? Reslife’s Faustian housing contract only allows fish in 10 gallon tanks or smaller. This means you can bring awesome fish (Barracuda, Piranha, Sharks, Stingrays, Tuna) to Wesleyan. Q: But I miss my dog! I want to bring him! Well, you’ll probably g et fined a lot of money. Good luck! Q: Seriously, I need my dog to support my physical/mental health. If you need a support animal for your physical/mental well-being , ResLife does make accommodations. Be sure to register with accessibility services so you can get approval. Q: Where can I find liquid refreshment? Middletown is conveniently located next to a river containing a substantial amount of liquid refreshment . Q: What about other… sorts of … err… It will be offered to you. Time to find some older friends! Q: I’m straight-edge/don’t drink/smoke. Will I be left out?  Not at all. You’ll be offered all kinds of things out of goodwill and the spirit of sharing. If you say “no,” people will respect that and eventually remember. There are often alternative activity groups that provide really fun things to do on weekend nights for people who don’t partake in the debauchery. Q: What happens if I get sick? First of all, get rid of that mindset and change that question to “What happens when I get sick,” because it will happen. The most common illnesses that go around campus are the common cold, the flu, mono and the Norovirus . A few winters ago, there was practically a gastroenteritis epidemic, a.k.a. the two-day shit-and-vomit extravaganza. Last year probably half the campus all had the flu in the same week. No matter the actual illness, it’ll be dubbed WesPlague . Unfortunately, you’ll just have to tough it out, though if you’re really ill, it’s worth it to email your professors and usually they’ll grant you an extension or understand if you skip class (Really! They’re nice people!). Weshop sells an assortment of cold remedies, and if you go to health services, they’ll give you a little cold-care pack of ibuprofen and cough drops. It would also help to have your own thermometer, crackers, tea, Vitamin C, and Gatorade. The health center offers gyno exams and tests for every STD imaginable, though you have to pay for those. They also offer Plan B and Orthotricyclen-Lo for ridiculously low subsidized prices. If there’s a medical emergency, call P-Safe and they’ll send a nice officer to escort you to the Middlesex Hospital. Really intens e medical emergency? Call 911. Q: Do I have to pay for my own condoms? No! WesWell , at 287 High st, has an entire room of sexual health information, including a wide assortment of condoms, lubes, and other items. You can visit it at any time the health center is open and pick up what you need. Don’t rely on your RA stocking the bathroom with condoms because the one big idiot on your hall will take them all and turn them into water balloons, leaving you sexually stranded come Saturday night. Q: My neighbor is hot. Should I . . . No! (Usually.) Hall booty is bad booty . You will spend lots of time with the people on your hall for the first couple of months as you cling to each other for social warmth. This is all well and good, but a warning: You share a bathroom with them. Your friends are their friends. You will see them in the hall every day. Every day. When you break up, you will see who they’re bringing home on Friday nights. They will see who you’re bringing home on Friday nights. They will see you not bringing anyone home on Friday night and playing Angry Birds alone in your underwear. But if it does happen, try to make it as least awkward as possible afterward. That being said, dormcest is not the same thing as hallcest —at least you guys are on different floors… (Thao’s note: Some hallcest actually works out. My roommate met her boyfriend on the first day here at Wesleyan and they have been dating ever since.) (Thao’s additional note: Marshall and Lily from How I Met Your Mother ) ( un meli-melo ‘s note:: if you’re going to do dormcest, make sure you don’t have to pass your ex-hookup’s floor on your way to yours; one degree of separation is still awkward af. It’s a small campus so awkwardness is going to happen no matter what, but sometimes it’s best to pause your hormones and remember that eye contact during Usdan brunches is already bad enough, you definitely don’t want to run into that bad booty when you’re hurtling down the stairs with dirty laundry. Perhaps the moral here is that abstinence is key, folks.) Q: How do I earn money? Whether you’re work study or not, go to Handshake . All job postings will go up on August 1st. Start looking as soon as you can and sending out emails to employers about a week or two before school starts. Work study is preferred for most of these, but look at the postings anyway. They’ll most likely still hire you, but won’t be able to pay as much. You can also get a part-time job on Main Street. Explore Middletown! Q: Where can my pen pal send me mail? Go to your E-Portfolio –> Academic Career –> Student Profile to find your mailing address. It will begin with “45 Wyllys Avenue,” which is pronounced “Willis” even though it’s spelled silly. All mail now goes to the package room, which is in the basement of Usdan. Q: Is there Greek life on campus?   A bit. Alpha Delt (Alpha Delta Phi, an all-gender literary society) and PsiU (Psi Epsilon, a co-ed society) have houses, but there’s also Rho Ep (Rho Epsilon, Wesleyan’s only sorority…although last year they did dissociate from Greek life. They still exist, though). The secret societies are still secret. Eclectic ha s housing too. Q: Do I really have to attend everything in the packet during Orientation week? This is college. You don’t have to do anything, but it’s highly recommended. You’ll meet lots of other people going through the same thing you are and you might learn something in the process. Got questions? Get answers. Email us at wesleyingblog@gmail.com or leave a helpful, friendly, respectful, well-articulated comment in the comments box and we’ll see what we can do. Happy living, Frosh!

Language is ever-evolving and extremely versatile. Therefore, we can make anything mean anything. From goon turning from a horrible henchman to something far more sinister, to “bussing” having nothing to do with “bus” and “bussy” not meaning “bussing”, the English language is a beautiful amalgamation of ideas that change their connotation every single day. From looksmaxing to maxmaxing to glittercore to corecore, our versatile language is something to behold. The tone and context in which you say the words truly impacts its meaning. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the top-8 sayings I enjoy: 8.  “Stop sticking your feet in me.” Something you say when you are distressed and nonplussed with someone. For example, if your roommate is being loud and obnoxious at night without consideration for you, you may tell them to stop sticking their feet in you. 7.  Anything referencing the infamous trolley problem. You can incorporate this into any situation, however it is perfect to reference during a funeral. 6. “Vatican makeover” - a vague threat implying the usage of Scotch tape (or any off-brand gift-wrapping tape) in a street fight.  Examples of usage include: “Have you ever had a Vatican makeover, son?” the man in the baseball hat says, pulling Scotch tape from his pencil case. 5. Additionally, a threat in the same vague vein is a “kindergarten craft project”. It involves threatening a person with a moldy croissant, and being as vague as possible. “Have you ever had a kindergarten craft project, son?” the man in the baseball hat says, pulling a moldy croissant from his pocket. These are some excellent ways to avoid a full-scale confrontation, as it will put the fear of God into a would-be attacker’s heart (Note: do not do this).  4.  “Who’ll be the penguin to my polar bear?” An indirect way to ask to play tag, as it references the Dune-like 2011 mobile game Racing Penguin, where the penguin must avoid the slowly approaching polar bear.  3.  “Ouch, my fallopian tubes!” A way to say that you are preparing for coitus. An example of this is when a hot person walks by. You need to shout at them, “Ouch, my fallopian tubes!” and they will instantly kiss you on the lips. (Note: do not do this). 2. “Ouch, my spleen!” A way to say that you are frightened. Not to be confused with “Ouch my fallopian tubes!” If you watch a horror movie and get jumpscared, you can say, “Ouch, my spleen!” People will then look at you strangely and you’ll have to explain to them what the definition of the phrase is. 1.  “I love reading content on Wesleying.org .” Something you say when you need to sound cool in a social situation. For example, during an icebreaker in which people ask you what you like, you may say, “I love reading content on Wesleying.org .”

Well, I was NOT expecting this. Kendrick Lamar, the best rapper alive, surprise-released his sixth official album (and twelfth full-length project) GNX  on Friday, November 22. The album’s named after the Buick Regal Grand National Experimental, a luxury car from 1987; the cover art depicts Kendrick standing next to the car. Musically, the album sees Kendrick getting back in touch with the West Coast hip hop scene that raised him up to where he is today. One criticism I’ve been seeing in some reviews is that it’s not as conceptually coherent as his past projects, but who needs that when your album is wall-to-wall bangers? “Squabble Up,” which was previously teased in the “Not Like Us” music video, is a highlight for sure. And if you haven’t seen anything about the big moment in “TV Off,” go listen to it now before the memes spoil it for you. GNX  is not a beef album — if you’re looking for diss tracks, you won’t find them here. But it’s not purely a victory lap either — just look at the very first track, “Wacced Out Murals.” After an intro from mariachi singer Deyra Barrera (who appears a few more times on the album), Kendrick’s first words on the album are “Yesterday, somebody whacked out my mural.” Even in what has unquestionably been a hugely successful year for K-Dot, where he’s scored multiple #1 hits and announced as the headliner for the next Super Bowl Halftime Show, he’s still constantly watching his back, thinking about murals dedicated to him getting defaced. The rest of the track sees him tying up loose ends from the beef, as he makes callbacks to the diss tracks that I obsessively listened to last spring (to procrastinate on my last round of exams), fires some subliminal jabs at Drake, and gets in some “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed”–type lines about Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne. Meanwhile, “Man at the Garden” makes the affirmative case for his legacy — he repeats the line “I deserve it all” throughout the song, and after listening to this album, it’s hard to argue with him. Beyond Angry Kendrick and Party Kendrick, we also see Kendrick get introspective on “Heart, Pt. 6” (while erasing Drake’s pitiful diss track of the same name from the historical record), channel the spirit of 2Pac on “Reincarnated,” and duet with his former labelmate SZA on the ballad “Luther.” Besides SZA, the biggest name in the list of features is Roddy Ricch, but he plays a minor role; all the other features are West Coast rappers that were fairly underground until now: This would’ve been a Drake “Hotline Bling” meme, but, well, you know. Oh man, this album is so great. 10/10. Album of the year for sure. It might even be the best album Kendrick’s ever released. I should really listen to it again, but I have some exams to procrastinate on first. Oh, and if you’re a BBL Drizzy fan, I hope you get straight C’s on your exams. What are you waiting for? Listen to the album here .

You know, I just wrote this headline and now it’s making me think of how no matter what YouTube video you watch, the algorithm always tries to send you towards “1 WOKE teen vs. 20 Trump supporters.” But thankfully that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to talk about YouTube channels I’m subscribed to where one could hypothetically spend too much time watching their content — and by “one” I mean “me,” and by “hypothetically” I mean “not hypothetically at all.” Let’s do that hockey: Todd in the Shadows This mysterious music critic has a few series that are very easy to get lost in. “One Hit Wonderland”  is about one-hit wonders, their journey to their one hit, and what they did afterward. “Trainwreckords” is about albums that ruined popular artists’ careers (such as Katy Perry’s Witness ). But what first drew me in was his annual rankings of the 10 worst pop songs of the year — guess bad music makes for great videos. CGP Grey This YouTuber is single-handedly waging a war against bad state flags. Take a look at your state’s flag  — there’s a good chance it’s just your state’s official seal over a boring blue background. Then go take a look at Grey’s video  and see how he places it in his tier list. Spoiler alert: there’s a very large F tier. RndStranger If you have really serious procrastination needs, may I interest you in a 1000+-video series? This guy played and reviewed every game  released for the NES/Famicom in Japan. You’ll get the all-time classics (Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Final Fantasy), the obscure gems (Bio Miracle, Adventure Island IV, Gimmick!), the absolute crap (Takeshi’s Challenge, Super Monkey Adventure), and lots and lots of baseball . yovo68 There’s this low-clearance bridge in Durham, North Carolina that eats moving trucks for breakfast, and this guy set up a camera near the bridge to capture all the trucks that crash into the bridge or get their roofs shaved off. I recognize that watching and laughing at these videos may seem a bit mean to the truck drivers whose vehicles got destroyed by the bridge, but there is literally a giant flashing sign in front of the bridge that warns truck drivers that they won’t fit under the bridge. Here’s a best-of compilation  — make sure to watch until at least 1:40 for a major  plot twist.

As you think of ways to put off writing that 10 to 12-page term paper that’s due on Sunday at 11:59pm, I ask, have you considered Roblox? Despite never having played as a child, I became a Roblox FIEND this year, and I’ve been trying to get my friends into it, to varying degrees of success. Here are eight Roblox games that you can and should play instead of studying for finals. Dress to Impress The Man in the Yellow Hat if he slayed. Regardless of where you stand on the VIP/non-VIP drama, or whether you follow the game’s surprisingly dark lore , there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Dress to Impress . Dress up your character according to a variety of fun themes, and when it’s time to rate everyone else’s outfits, tell them that they “ATEEEEE” even if you’re only going to give them one out of five stars. You should never go above three stars when rating others’ looks, unless you’re playing with your baddies , in which case they should all get INSTANT fives. Obviously. My Movie My first film, “10 Inspiring Images About Apples,” received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Unleash your inner Mike White and make the film of your dreams! In My Movie , you’ll have access to all of the images in Roblox’s library, as well as a variety of stunning soundtracks. Make a thrilling multi-part saga or a simple short film; a horror movie or an action flick; a stop-motion animation or something more traditional. You can invite other people to work on films with you, but be prepared: some of your fellow filmmakers might be unwilling to share the spotlight. When you’re finished with your movie, you can force—ahem, allow  everyone in the theater to watch it. I say: Absolute cinema. Therapy “Me and my skibidi friends are losing the toilet war… and idk what to do,” proclaims the mournful Skibidi Toilet.  Taking care of your mental health  has never been so affordable - therapy  offers Roblox players the opportunity to talk to other people about the many problems in their lives. Sometimes, these problems are mundane: too much homework , overbearing parents, trauma from watching awful films in My Movie. Other times, they’re more serious. I once spent thirty minutes talking to a guy who was upset because his girlfriend was depressed: not because she was having suicidal thoughts, but because she didn’t want to have sex with him. In short, this game is fun, but do NOT play it if you are an empath !  SCP: Site Roleplay Asking the questions everybody else is too afraid to think about… SCP: Site Roleplay  is a must-play for fans of the SCP Foundation  lore who want to experience the ins and outs of life at an SCP containment site. Become a soldier who protects Foundation personnel, a scientist who runs experiments, or a Class-D inmate who revolts against the Foundation! Be sure to remember the locations of the on-site nuclear bomb  shelters—the pay-to-win players love to abuse the nuke button. And do NOT, under ANY circumstances, answer the people who ask you, “What’s 2520 + 1?”   Car Crash Test Oh no! My car!  Car Crash Test  is the first game I ever played on Roblox, so it holds a special place in my heart. It’s a great way to release stress. After spawning a car of your choice, you can destroy it by using bombs and Molotov cocktails, parking on train tracks, or driving out of an airplane. You can also, of course, crash into someone else’s vehicle . It’s not as fun as it is in real life, but I have to admit that it comes pretty damn close! Be sure to turn down your volume before you play: things can get very loud very quickly, and I have almost busted an eardrum multiple times.  Fredbear’s Mega Roleplay Me and gang 💯🗣️🔥 Was that the bite of ‘87?!  In Fredbear’s Mega Roleplay , you can experience the thrilling events of the Five Nights at Freddy’s  franchise from the comfort of your own home. Explore a variety of famous in-game locations, including the original Freddy Fazbear’s  Pizza, Circus Baby’s Pizza  World, and the Afton family home. There are plenty of hidden secrets if you know where to look, and I’ve made it my mission to obtain all of the hidden characters. My favorite thing to do is close the curtains when the animatronics are performing on stage. The other players will get really pissed off, but if you run away quickly enough, they won’t be able to tell that it’s you.  Petalcreek Academy RP The teachers here do NOT like me. Have you ever wanted to relive high school? Me neither, but you still need to check out Petalcreek Academy RP . You can choose to be a good student: go to class, make friends, and experience the epic highs and lows of high school football . However, most students prefer to spend their time beating the shit out of each other using various implements, including pencils, broken bottles, and baseball bats. People WILL attack you for no reason, and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to fight back or run away and hide in a locker. Personally, I’ll never be able to look at an umbrella the same way… Infinite Craft AI Thank god, LGBTQIA+ people can play Fortnite now. Infinite Craft AI  is essentially a Roblox version of neal.fun ’s Infinite Craft . You start with four elements—water, earth, wind, and fire—and combine them to craft, well, an infinite amount of new elements. You will end up with thousands before you know it, and you might even end up crafting some new elements of your own. You can share your elements with other players and sell them in the in-game shop for diamonds . Or, if you’re feeling particularly mischievous , you can steal other peoples’ elements. The choice is yours!

(Editor's note 2024 - one of Wesleying's most popular articles ever. As of 2017 it had over 40,000 views. Had to memorialize it on the new site over 10 years later. Maybe we'll even do it again(??)) Spring is definitely in the air and as the end of the semester draws near, some sweet summer lovin’ is in sight! With so many orgasms on the horizon, let’s take a look back through the sexual histories of a few brave Wes students by asking just two simple questions: What is the story of the first time you came? And what is the story of the most recent time you came? Here, we recount the first and last orgasms of some sexy Wesleyan sharers. All names have been changed to aliases chosen by the interviewee for the sake of privacy. Lonestar (M) First time: “So, at the time I wasn’t old enough to like physically come yet but the first time I had an orgasm was when I was probably in fifth grade and had no idea what an orgasm was. I thought that to have a baby all you had to do was to stick your penis in a vagina and it just happened. So, I was having a sleepover with my best friend and we decided to do this thing — at this time I still thought I was straight but I was experimenting a little — so we got water balloons and filled them up and put them on his chest to imitate boobs. It was in a back room upstairs and I got on top of him. We were dry humping a little and pretending he was the girl and I was the guy. I got this really intense feeling all over my body that started in my stomach and just felt crazy and took hold of my entire body and my toes were clenched and I was grabbing on to him and dry humping furiously. He thought he heard my dad so he was like ‘wait, wait, wait… stop, your dad is coming up.’ So I slowed down but the feeling needed to be resolved and I couldn’t stop so I dry humped him until this rush of pleasure and emotion and amazingness came over my entire body. I sat up and then it was his turn.” Last time: “The last time I came was about twenty minutes ago. I was like ‘Damn, I’m stressed and hungry, I’m gonna masturbate.’ So I decided that would be my little incentive to start work, I would jack off and then start my psych paper.” Pepper (F) First time: “The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I went to a summer camp that was held in this huge New England mansion right by the beach. Every night, my camp friends and I would sit out on this huge front porch and stay up late talking and the conversation often turned to sex. I then realized that I never had an orgasm and that a lot of other people had. On the plane back home from camp at the end of the summer, I read a Cosmo article about ladies masturbating so when I got home, I decided to try it. I was really nervous about being caught for some reason so I was really secretive and made this huge deal about needing to take a shower and I waited for my family to leave the house. Then I locked myself in the bathroom and took a bath and made it happen.” Last time: “This past weekend I visited my boyfriend at his college for his birthday. His roommate has a new girlfriend and they were hanging out together in the room, so my boyfriend and I were oddly sexiled and ended up not getting the chance to have sex the whole day of his birthday. That night, we were at a party in his friend’s dorm room and it was almost midnight and we didn’t want the day to end without him gettin’ some nice birthday love. So as the minutes were passing, I was like ‘I need to make this happen!’ and I pulled him out of the party and into a nearby study lounge and got on top of him and we started kissing. The study lounge has a big window and people kept walking by so we couldn’t do it there and it was almost 12 o’clock and we were like ‘We’re running out of time! We have to do it now!’ so we ran downstairs and went to this single stall bathroom in the dorm’s lobby. It was definitely a countdown to midnight and there was a lot of buildup so as soon as we got in the bathroom we stripped and did it with me sitting on the sink and him standing. So that was the last time I came.” Frank Berkman (M) First time: “I don’t remember that clearly, but I think I was about 13 and had just figured out how masturbation works. I was alone in my bathroom. Even though I had already learned about orgasms/ejaculation in sex-ed or whatever and knew what was supposed to happen, I was still sort of freaked out when it happened.” Last time: “I procrasturbated while writing a paper on Sunday night. It was around 1 a.m. and I was alone in my room. Sorry I don’t have a sexier answer to this one.” Funk Master Sex (F) “I was always slow on the sexual uptake, if you will. When I was in elementary school, for a bit I thought sex involved a vagina and an asshole. At the time I was really displeased with that because I thought it was dirty. I have come to learn that isn’t how it is. Anyway, I couldn’t tell you if I have had an orgasm which probably means I haven’t. This one time the summer after my senior year of high school, I was in a hotel room and my mom ditched me because we were in a fight. My friend was going to come to the hotel and have a girls’ night in with me but she couldn’t so basically I was alone in this really ritzy hotel room in New York City. It’s a place where people go to have sex, there are all these couples, like they even have signs by these huge windows that say not to have sex by them. So I was like ‘How am I going to entertain myself?’ and I was looking for the mini-fridge and in a drawer I found this package with a vibrator that had oddly been opened. So I thought if I sanitized it I could use it and subtly slip it back in without having to pay for it, because I didn’t want my parents to see on the bill like ‘Oh, your daughter purchased a vibrator… and oreos.’ But anyway, I decided to use it and it came with this tiny little mirror so that you could situate it and figure that shit out. So I started using it, and I transitioned to the bathtub so there wouldn’t be an echo so no one in the hall could hear me. In the bathroom there was a stereo that had some pre-programmed sex music on it, but that didn’t add any sexiness. I couldn’t say for sure whether I orgasmed or not, but that was probably the closest I’ve ever been.” Jellybean (M) First time: “I was 13 years old and was in my basement one evening. It was about a week or so after I had miraculously realized you could get Internet on the Wii and wanted to look at porn for the first time rather than awkwardly do it on one of my parents’ computers upstairs. I literally just put in the word ‘porn’ on Google search and realized that even though the Wii had Internet, it was definitely not a computer and could not play any of the videos, so I repeatedly failed at finding anything to watch until a random video began to work. I knew what masturbating was, but I didn’t really know why kids did it, so I decided to try it to see what all the hubbub was about. Nothing happened for a couple minutes so I was really befuddled. Then, randomly, halfway through the video, I stopped in confusion and then I just came and really had no idea what happened even though it was sort of fun. At that point I put the pieces together in my mind as to why exactly people enjoyed cumming and have enjoyed it ever since.” Last time: “The last time I came was three days ago in my room alone sitting in my chair by my desk.” Yoko (F) First time: “So, it’s junior year of high school and I had just been dumped by the boy that I lost my virginity to. I was pretty torn up, but mostly I missed the daily sex and was ready for a change of pace. I started seeing this girl, which I thought was so cool and rebellious. Neither of us really knew what we were doing, but I think that was part of the fun. One day we were fooling around on her bed, making out and stuff and she put her hand down my skirt. I was a little nervous, but then I told myself, ‘Wait, you’ve totally done this all before. No need to be nervous.’ Little did I know that I had never actually had the full experience—sex is one thing, but an orgasm is like nothing else! I felt this heat in my toes that I’d definitely felt before, but this time I didn’t shut it down. I don’t know if it was the soft touch of another lady, or whether I just felt really comfortable with her, but I let the heat rush over my entire body. It was such an overwhelming sensation, but it was so awesome. I wanted to feel it again. Before I felt this, I always assumed that I must have orgasmed because I had had sex. I was so wrong. To this day, some well-timed fingering is still the way to an insta-orgasm for me.” Last time: “Saturday night. The Bourne Supremacy was playing. I really couldn’t tell you anything about the movie. I can tell you that I was with a real cute boy w ho is super good at picking up on my cues.” Doing these interviews was more fun than we could have imagined. We were surprised that hearing about people’s orgasms was simultaneously hilarious and empowering. So props to all you Wes lovers who get down with yourself and your partners in such a variety of funny, sexy, sweet, awkward, and original ways. We hope your next orgasm is just as weird and erotic as you are. We wish you all a very steamy summer! Love, Darwin & Grey

“ I know that in four years, there will be no student memory of Mocon. It will be as if Usdan had always been there. It will just be a small selection of alums who will mourn its passing. You will be able to count me among them.” Colleen McKiernan, ’89, on April 22 2010, comment on Roth’s blog post  announcing the demolition of McConaughy dining hall.  Joni Mitchell plays to a full house of students at McConaughy Hall in 1969 Colleen is right, a very small group of students on campus today even know of the dining hall that came before Usdan, and even fewer know about how MoCon is Usdan’s cooler, older sister. I vividly remember asking an alum from the class of 89 during reunion weekend about MoCon and watching her almost cry thinking about it. "It was just so wonderful, we all loved the MoCon," she said. While the Douglas Cannon  was my sophomore year roman empire, the MoCon has become my senior year obsession, and I am devastated I’ll never get to experience it as part of my Wesleyan life. Colleen spoke her truth once again, writing that: “The absence of a single dining space large enough for the entire class seemed to be a consistent complaint about Usdan. There are so few things that one does at Wes as a whole class. Eating at Mocon was one of them…It was easy to watch everyone come and go, to find your friends as you walked down the stairs, to make announcements, do an informal poll to determine if boxers or briefs were better.” While I think I’m maybe the only person ever to consider Usdan my favorite playspace on campus, it’s absolutely true that the space is sterile and divided. We are split between quiet and loud side, dividing the athletes from narps, straights from gays, the bullies from the bullied (EDIT: okay I know it’s not that serious and people interchange between sides, that’s just my ultra generalization because I’m jealous of MoCon's one dining space. Proud quiet side gay narp). Today everyone accepts Usdan because it’s all they know for a main dining hall, but people HATED it when it came around in 2007, calling it Usdanistan and even boycotting it. Once you learn a little more about how loved MoCon was, you’ll understand what the uproar was about. If I went from eating in a cool flying saucer building that had been a core Wes experience for almost 50 years to corporate Usdan, I’d be upset too. Time for a WesHistory lesson! An original sketch of MoCon from the Special Collections MoCon, or McConaughy hall, opened in 1962 and was located on Foss between Nicolson and Hewitt, overlooking the cemetery and tennis courts. It’s named after the president of Wesleyan from 1925-1945, James L McConaughy.  It seems like he wa s well liked at least by the board of trustees and some alumni, because they took special care to note that “only buildings likely to be permanent parts of the University should be named for Wesleyan ‘greats.’ This naming should be viewed as a substantial honor undertaken only after the most careful consideration.” The unique building cost 1.3 million to make (less than Roth’s annual salary!), and was acclaimed in magazines listing unique and modern colleges. When it opened in 1962, it was known as the “freshman dining hall,” and meals were $0.75 (breakfast), $1.00 (lunch), and $1.50 (dinner). The freshman price of board was $575. Jealous. A menu from the 60s that I found in the Special Collections…mmm, what I wouldn’t do for a Monday meal of frankfurters, beans, and jello. MoCon was not just a dining hall, but an event space. There were dances with almost 700 people like the Dozen Heart Ball in 1964, and regular concerts, lectures, and events from groups all over Connecticut being hosted at the Hall. It's essential to remember that at the time of MoCon’s construction, Wesleyan was still an all boys school; Robert M. Stone ‘70 remarked in the fiftieth reunion class of the pre-co-ed dances: “Freshman year also ushered in strange new social experiences, such as “mixers” with local women’s colleges and fraternity rush. When the buses filled with women arrived at the circle in front of McConaughy dining hall for our first mixer, we behaved like crazed animals. I’m surprised any women were willing to leave the bus.”  Were people in the 1960s getting it on in the MoCon bathrooms? I sure hope so.  The concerts and talks were epic, and highlights include Joni Mitchell, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Nina Simone (tickets were THREE DOLLARS), Angela Davis, and so many more. Courtesy of Special Collections Brides also apparently liked getting married at MoCon because of the grand entrance you could make by the stairs, which despite me scouring the internet I cannot find any photos of. If you got married here please email us  with photos and info. I need to see it.  The space and openness of MoCon was what made it special and conducive to community. In an argus article , Mile s Bukiet ‘11, creator of the Save Mocon Facebook page, said, “the quality of the space was so open and big…you felt like you were in a forest, and it had a cathedral sort of feel too.”  Stuart Remensnyder wrote in a Save Mocon  post some of his thoughts and memories: “Also certainly remember well the smell of Mocon the morning after a good party or concert - an acrid mixture of stale cheap beer and human sweat - testament to a well used living space. I am sorry that future students may not have a chance to enjoy the bright space on a Sunday morning looking out and away from campus rather than into the center. It was nice that it was on the edge of campus looking out and keeping us thinking of the world beyond.” There was Smoke n Moke, or Smokon, which is way better than a dismal boozedan (which I honestly haven’t done since I was 18). There was Thanksgiving where EACH TABLE GOT A WHOLE TURKEY??? Okay, thats just cruel. A professor I had my Sophomore year told me about how he accidentally took acid at a music event at MoCon as a PHD student in the 80s (70s?) because they were passing them out and he, stoned, just wanted a sip of water to cure his dry mouth. Apparently there was lots of streaking and making announcements on the stairs, dropping cups from DKE, dance marathons, and maybe even food fights? You can read more MoCon traditions here , but watch out for how it might make you feel. As Ilana from Broad City would say: Thank you wesleying from 2010  for this diagram in the abandoned Mocon that makes me feel like i'm in a post apocalyptic dream  In short, MoCon seemed way more lit than Usdan could ever even dream of. Fun things actually happened there, and I’m jealous. Let's not get it twisted - people absolutely complained about the food, some hated it, and many weren’t even sad to see it go in 2010. But the point is that the grimyness, layout, and events gave it personality, and more importantly, made it a student space. I can’t even fathom half of these things being able to happen in a space like Usdan, and I don’t feel like it has real community. Or maybe people are just less fun at this school now. Maybe a combination of both.  2005 argus article showing the first MoCon thanksgiving (courtesy of Special Collections) But because everything good must apparently die here, in May of 2007, MoCon served its last meal, and thus began Moconaughgeddon . Many students and alums desperately wanted to stop it  from being destroyed. For several years, it was unclear what would happen to the building. Many in the Save Mocon facebook group hoped for a concert venue, roller derby rink, gym, or an art museum, in an effort to preserve the unique building, but administration claimed that the expense of keeping it up and restoring it would be too expensive. Though it was already suspected, M-dawg Roth confirmed the news on 4/20 of 2010 that the school had officially decided to go through with its demolition, which I think is frankly hilarious. I can only imagine stoned members of the class of 2010 sent into a marajuana induced panic on Foss when they found out that their efforts to save MoCon were done.  The Mococalypse RIP :( Indeed, its destruction marked a change in Wesleyan’s larger culture, as buildings that came up in the early 2000s like Usdan, Fauver, Bennet, and Zelnick Pavilion represented a sterilization of the architecture around campus. It's destruction also erased what memory was left of James L. McConaughy – his granddaughter in a Save Mocon post reminded people that in many ways, the building also served as a memorial to his legacy. After my research, I’ve come up with the top 5 things I would have done if I had gotten to be a Wes student during MoCon times: Pay THREE DOLLARS to see Nina Simone at my own school  Be stoned on Foss april 20th, 2010, when everyone found out their beloved MoCon was to be demolished Eat a whole turkey with eight of my friends at a round table Do a official Wesleying irl poll at the top of the stairs (and have no DKE members drop cups (why does DKE even exist again??)) Officiate a Mocon wedding Honorable mention goes to participating in the mocon bathroom freaking I hope was happening during those 60s dances  The collective memory of MoCon is MoGone, and left only to the few faculty that remember it and students who reminisce on a version of this school that they never got to experience. Maybe this article might prompt people to make Usdan a fun student space, or maybe we’ll just stick to the occasional happy birthday that one half of Usdan sings, the questionable music on loud side, and waiting in insane lines. But I miss you MoCon, and I never even got to know you.

Froshies and non froshies alike, have you saved the date yet for the Student Involvement Fair, happening this Friday, Sept 13th (spooky), from 3:30-5:30???!!?? If not SAVE IT RIGHT NOW !! Maybe you have yet to discover what a G-cal can do for your life, but this would be a great time to get on that. Why should you come? Because WESLEYING WILL BE THERE!!! Along with many many other cool student groups on campus that you should check out. There will be a sick ass poster (that I still haven't made yet but just trust), a sick ass managing editor, and sick ass answers for all your wesleying related questions. Can't come to the club fair?? Fill out this form to be included on future emails, join the Wesleying team, or just leave an article suggestion. You can also find the link to our form here , or also here if you couldn't find the other three links in this paragraph. FILL OUT THE FORM !!!!! please. We've also got some new articles up, featuring some of our greatest past Wesleying hits. Check out one of our most viewed articles of all time, the Orgasm Chronicles , or explore the fascinating History of the Douglas Cannon , Ben Shapiro's thoughts on Wesleyan liberal sex zombies , groundhogs , or Rothhead calculations . All of these are on our homepage, and more will be coming soon! Have other articles you want reposted on the site or ideas for new articles? Email us at wesleyingblog@gmail.com , or DM us on IG @wesleying . See you Friday!

TL;DR: It’s Yik Yak. If that explanation didn’t help, I guess I should start by explaining Yik Yak. Yik Yak was an anonymous social media app that originally operated from 2013 to 2017. Posts were only visible to users within a 5-mile radius, so it was mainly marketed to college students, who would be able to see all the posts made at their college. It was shut down in 2017 due to cyberbulling scandals, but in 2021, the financial services company Square bought the app and relaunched it. This is the version of Yik Yak that recent grads and current upperclassmen are most likely familiar with. But wait, it gets more confusing: in 2023, Yik Yak was bought by Sidechat, another app that does basically the same thing. “Yik Yak” as it exists today is really just a rebranded Sidechat. Fizz is a third app that has basically the same functionality. Anonymous (or pseudonymous) users can post text, photos, videos, memes, and/or polls. From there, other users can FizzUp (upvote), FizzDown (downvote), save, comment, ReFizz (repost/retweet), direct-message the original poster, or share the post to other services. When you open the app, you’ll see five tabs at the bottom of the screen: Home:  The main feed. This is divided into a few sub-feeds: Fizzin’ : The top trending posts right now, as determined by Fizz’s algorithm. Comparable to Reddit’s “Hot” feed. Top : The most-upvoted posts of the day, week, or all time.   New : Every post in reverse-chronological order, for the true Fizz addicts like myself. Discover: Allows you to only look at posts with a specific tag. (More on tags below.) Marketplace (Beta):  Where students sell crap they don’t need. This is most likely a key part of Fizz’s long-term business plan, since the app doesn’t have any ads (yet). Messages: Where you get ghosted. Profile: A bunch of stuff is packed in here: Karma: If your posts/comments get upvoted, your karma goes up. If they get downvoted, your karma goes down. Capeesh? Caposh. Leaderboard: Your place in the Fizz pecking order. Anyone with less karma than you is an imminent threat to your Fizz superiority; anyone with more karma needs to get a life. Awards: There are 40 achievement-type thingies, which you can get from various Fizz activities (e.g. post a GIF, get 500 upvotes, post 10 days in a row). I’ve been stuck at 35/40 for an infuriatingly long time . Activity: Where you get notifications if someone comments on your posts, or your post got a lot of upvotes, or the mods took your comment down because they didn’t get your joke. Posts: All your posts, sortable by Most Recent or Most FizzUps. Comments: Same thing but for your comments. Saved: For bookmarking posts you want to come back to later. Use your bookmark powers wisely — or unwisely, it’s your choice. Tags When you create a post on Fizz, you can select a tag for it, and that’ll make it show up under a specific section in the Discover tab. Theoretically, this should have some bearing on the topic of the post, but in reality, people just tend to slap “Event” and “Crush” tags on their posts for no reason. Here are some posts you’ll see over and over for each tag:   EVENT   “[Frat/sports team] throwing tn at [time]” Some random post that has nothing to do with events, not even a little bit   POLL   Gender Class year Relationship status Rice purity score Political leaning (either Dem/GOP/Other or 5 levels from “very liberal” to “very conservative”) “Is it okay for a junior to get with a freshman?” (or some other grade gap) “Ladies, how small is too small?” “What the highest acceptable body count for a girl to have?” “🍒 or 🍑?” “Which dating app should I download?” “What app do you listen to music on?” Poll missing an obvious answer (e.g. “How old were you when you first tried nicotine?” but not giving a “never” option) OP makes simple math mistakes (e.g. having “<10” and “>10” options but no option for exactly 10)   DM ME   “Need a man”/“Need a girl” “Who wanna hu” (I think you get the picture here) “Looking for a platonic cuddle buddy” (I have a theory that this is the same person every time, in which case I feel bad because they’re clearly very touch-deprived)   PSA   “Wash your hands!!!”   QUESTION   These are actual questions the vast majority of the time. The real problem is that most of the time, nobody bothers to answer OP’s question.   CRUSH   Some random post that has nothing to do with crushes, not even a little bit   CONFESSION   “I cheated on my bf/gf” (with a few dozen downvotes) “This guy with a 2.0 gpa tried to ask me for head, like bro use yours first”   SHOUTOUT   Shoutouts to the janitors and Usdan staff (I’m not mad that these posts show up so often, they deserve every shoutout)   DUB   “I got a [good grade] on my paper even though I started it 24 hours before it was due”   RIP   “Eduroam sucks”   MEME   “Hawk 1: [insert inane question here]Hawk 2: uhhh idk”(If the joke doesn’t make sense, say the second line aloud.)   VIDEO   Something stolen from TikTok/Twitter/etc. The squirrels/groundhogs on campus   LOST & FOUND   “Lost: my sanity” “I lost my virginity!!!” Lost AirPods. SO MANY lost AirPods. Also Wes IDs. As a small community confined to an app, Fizz posts have limited exposure to the outside world. The main exception is on the official Fizz Wesleyan account on Instagram, which I guess posts the most popular or “best” posts on WesFizz. I don’t look at it much though, because I’ve already seen all of its posts when they went up on Fizz.  Fizz’s initial popularity likely came from a major on-campus marketing effort in the fall of 2027. I’m talking booths at Usdan, sticking QR codes up around campus, refer-a-friend programs, etc. I found out about it from one of those QR codes; I downloaded the app and figured it would only last for a few weeks before everyone just forgot about it. But somehow, the user base remained relatively stable through the school year and the summer. It’s even managed to take off with the class of 2028 as well. I suspect this is due to more under-the-radar marketing techniques (read: spamming incoming frosh Instagrams with follow requests). People have been saying that Fizz is dying pretty much ever since it launched. Is it dying now? Given that a post got 1,100 upvotes just this month, I’m inclined to say no. But Fizz has certainly changed  since I joined it. Poll results show half the freshman class is on Fizz, so there are a lot more references to frosh WesCelebs that I just don’t get. Another change I’ve noticed this year is that a lot more athletes seem to be using the app. Last year, I thought of Fizz as a NARP app, but the biggest Fizz event of the year proved that’s not the case anymore. Yes, I’m talking about Rochefest. For those unaware, Rochefest was a Fountain party thrown by the hockey team on September 27, which was relentlessly  promoted in hyperbolic terms leading up to the event. It got so out of hand that some Fizzers thought the whole thing was a prank, but no, it was a real (albeit lame) party. But the illuminating part was how many upvotes every Rochefest post got — clearly this a major Fizz-centric promotional effort by the hockey team. I was left feeling like this wasn’t my  app anymore — though given that I’m a senior, it was never really my  app in the first place. One long-standing problem with Fizz has been karma farming — i.e. posts along the lines of “Upvote to do well on your exams.” This semester, however, it seems there has been an uptick in posts stolen word-for-word from other sites (Reddit, TikTok, Twitter, etc.) — or at least people are getting better at calling the stolen posts out. There’s also as much lying as there’s ever been. Perhaps the most serious problem on the app has been the growing amount of drama and toxicity. For example, a few weeks ago, someone posted this: This then spawned countless refizzes where users argued over whether the post was fatphobic. It almost made me miss the preceding week when every other post was about Rochefest. Of course, Fizz’s mods are trying their best to keep the app healthy, but there’s a limit to how much they can do to control WesFizz’s culture. Actually, scratch that — not every mod is doing their best. Recently, at least one mod seems to be retaliating against me because I called them out for stealing one of their posts from Facebook: reeaaal original. Such activity does not go against Fizz’s rules, and many people have done similar callouts in the past. In fact, this started because someone refizzed the post with the message “find whatever tweet this is stolen from.” So naturally, I accepted that invitation and posted the Facebook screenshot. However, I can’t tell you exactly how I captioned that screenshot when I posted it, because a few minutes later it was taken down by a moderator with the obviously bogus rationale that my post was “graphically sexual or gory.” And yes, the post did discuss sex, but it was no worse than other things that get posted on Fizz regularly. If my post was obscene, then so was the original stolen post. So then I posted the screenshot again but I censored everything subjective (while still making it obvious that the post was stolen) and it got taken down for the same reason. As I’m writing this, I just made a text-only post saying that the post was stolen. This one appears to still be up. I guess this is a long-winded way of saying that Fizz has a fundamental problem with relying on student moderators rather than paying third-party mods — you end up with students getting irrationally protective of their made-up internet points and going on power trips whenever someone dares to question them.  And that  is why I have deleted Fizz once and for all. Just kidding — I redownloaded it today.

This is a part of Wesleying's 2025 Unofficial Orientation Series. You can check out our welcome post with links to other articles here. Disclaimer: While the tips introduced in this post can be applied universally, you should remember that your odds of getting into a class depend primarily not on your effort, but on the professor’s policies and the popularity of the class. Still, trying can’t hurt! During drop/add , students are able to add pretty much any class to their schedule, regardless of the limits posed by pre-reg (however, your faculty advisor will have to approve an extension in your credit limit if you go above 4 credits). In addition to the registrar's guide linked above, you should check out this  FAQ , also kindly prepared by the registrar’s office. The purpose of this post isn't to explain drop/add itself, but to warn you innocent, unassuming frosh about the reality of this race and offer some insights. If reading long articles is not your thing, scroll to the end for a TL;DR. The first thing you need to know about drop/add is that it can be quite difficult if pre-reg seriously messed you up, or you seriously messed up your pre-reg. Sometimes, even if you nag a professor day and night, in person and by email... attend a class and prove yourself worthy by participating at length... beg your advisor to put in a good word... or perform a satanic ritual, your efforts will be wasted.  You should, therefore, adjust your expectations accordingly. Also, keep in mind that pre-registration is the most important time to shape your schedule. Wesleyan’s general atmosphere is one of ‘spontaneity’ and ‘flexibility’, so when pre-reg royally screws you over, you might not think to focus all of your energy on drop/add.  Since all other students have participated in a full pre-reg process, you might feel like you're at a disadvantage, but that is not actually the case. Even if the pre-reg process completely screws you over, there are still plenty of options to choose from. For instance, there are a ton of First Year Seminars (FYS) available. FYS are only available to freshmen, so your odds of getting into one is significantly higher. If taking one would threaten to mess up your other plans, you don't have to, but they're a great way to learn how to do work at the college level. And a great way to make friends too! Another reason why new students shouldn’t stress too much about pre-reg is that most freshmen generally take intro-level classes. These classes are usually quite big or have multiple sections, and are geared towards first-year students, so you have everyone’s blessings to be in those classes. As long as you show up to the first class, that is. I cannot stress enough the importance of showing up to the first class of the semester, whether you desperately want to get in or would like to keep that class in your schedule. Showing up to the first class makes a good first impression, and shows the professor that you are interested. Putting your name and face out there also helps the professor remember you. To bump your chances of getting into the class, try talking to the professor afterwards and telling them why you're so interested. The best thing to do is email them before class so you can say, "Hi, I'm so-and-so, you may recall that I emailed you the other day..."  A word of caution to those who get too cocky and don’t plan on showing up on the first day because they are already ‘enrolled’ in the class: according to the EPC statement on attendance, professors can kick you out for that. If the class is especially popular, professors might give away your slot to someone who did show up on the first day and expressed real interest in the class. Understandably, your absence might also rub professors the wrong way, and since these are often the same people who are grading your papers and granting your extension requests, you don't want to give them any reasons to dislike you. In past writers' experience, showing up to the first class pretty much guarantees you a spot if you want to get into classes with 100+ seats. However, things get more complicated when you are trying to get into a smaller, seminar-style/non-intro class. WesMaps’ Past Enrollment Probability may tell you that in the past, students had less than 50% percent chance of getting in (that’s the lowest tier, btw). What can you do to improve your odds of getting in? First of all, don’t blindly pursue any one class just because it sounds interesting. If you exert all of your energy trying to get into one incredibly selective class, you may miss out on a whole load of other classes that you'd love. So think hard about the reasons why that one class interests you so much. Is it in a field you'd like to major in? Is it related to a class you took in high school and loved? Is it something you’re extremely passionate about? Email the instructor and tell them why! If your reason for wanting to take the class is personal and close to you, you may stand out from all the other people trying to get in. In general, it's always good to introduce yourself to the professor over email and give them a brief idea of why you're interested in the class. (Keep it brief, to 2-3 paragraphs max.) Then, after attending the first class, you can follow up in-person. When sending this email, mentioning that the class is a prerequisite for your intended major almost always helps. Many freshmen come here with no idea what they want to major in, so the 'major' card does give you an edge. If it's an advanced class that doesn’t usually admit first years, present all your credentials—AP or IB scores, competitions, etc.—and fight for your place. Politely. After you send the email, it's important to follow up after a few days if you don't get a response. Professors are incredibly busy at the start of the semester, so they're bound to forget a few things here and there. You just have to make sure that they don’t forget you. Be courteous but firm in your email, but don’t spam. Nobody likes a spammer.  After you've emailed, don’t forget to attend every class during drop/add! By simply showing up, listening, and participating in the class, you’re demonstrating your commitment, and professors will notice this. You may even move up on the 'waiting list.' In some cases, the professor might just ignore the limit and admit you into the class even when there isn’t technically a seat available! (However, several professors have seen enough cases over the years to not be moved by your intense passion for their subject or your personal reason for wanting to take their class). If you ever find yourself with multiple classes that you're equally interested in, but without enough room in your schedule, it can be hard to prioritize them. In these scenarios, it’s good to move beyond the subject matter of each course and base your decision on its other aspects, such as: The nature of the class and its assignments.  The ‘Examination and Assignments’ section on the course's WesMaps page will generally be your friend here. In most cases, especially as a freshman, is wise to balance your courses—that is, if you're more of a humanities person, try to take at least one science/math course, and if you've always known you wanted to study biology, consider taking at least one reading-based class. The time the class starts. Some people are absurdly cheery in the morning (I will never understand how), and others are not. Most of you probably think you can wake up at 7:30AM every morning (you did it for the last four years in high school, after all), but trust me, it somehow magically becomes much harder in college. Be honest with yourself about what you think you can handle, and consider what kind of schedule would work best with your body clock. The way the class fits into your schedule. Consider how you want your classes distributed throughout each day and each week. Would you rather have all your classes on some days and none on others? Would you rather have only classes in the afternoon? If you have two classes back-to-back, would you need more than a 10-minute break between them, or can your brain switch gears quickly? Some classes may also have mandatory TA sessions or lab sessions, so make sure to consider this while curating your schedule.  The location of the class. While it might seem unimportant, it becomes slightly more relevant when you have two back-to-back classes. During my sophomore fall, I had to get from my class on the third floor of Fisk to my second class in the observatory in 10 minutes. It wasn't too bad, but I did have quite the workout scaling Foss twice a week at 10:40am. The professor. Even at a school like Wesleyan, the fact of the matter is that some professors are good, and others are... not. Wesleyan used to have an app with an internal professor rating system, but that app has since become obsolete as far as I know. Rate My Professor remains a great option when trying to figure out whether a class will work for you. Keep in mind that all of the ratings are subjective and everybody has a different experience. Pro tip: sometimes, a professor who's new to Wes will have a RMP page from their time at another university. Just double check that they're the same person before making any judgments. This is also a good time to emphasize the importance of having back-up options. In case you are unable to get into a particular class, make sure you have a back-up class you can turn to if needed. You don’t want to be left with fewer credits than you wanted at the end of drop/add. The last thing you need to know: yes, it sucks when all your methods fail and you just can’t take the class you want. Please don’t let it get to you! You have four years here—you will have plenty of opportunities to take the classes you want, young grasshopper. Here’s the TL;DR for all you lazy readers:  STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR GETTING INTO THAT CLASS YOU REALLY WANT: Rank the class as your first choice during pre-reg.  Submit an enrollment request on Wesmaps before classes begin. Send an email to the professor to give them a heads-up. Explain why you are interested in the class and mention any past experiences that might give you an edge. Be polite and reasonable, but compelling. Show up to the first class! Determine your level of interest in the class and your probability of getting in. Talk to the professor before or after class. Follow up with an email to gently remind the professor. Be courteous, yet firm. No spamming. You may not get a response immediately, be patient.  Continue to show up to class. No skipping! If/when seats open up, you’ve got to be there.   Typically, by the time a seat becomes available, there won’t be that many students who have kept up throughout Drop/Add, so it will probably be yours.  If you don’t get in, don’t worry! This will make for a much stronger case for next semester, especially if the same professor teaches the class. * Again, remember: your odds of getting into a class depend primarily not on your effort, but on the professor’s policies and how popular the class is. Proceed with this in mind. OTHER RANDOM YET HELPFUL TIPS: Even if a class allots 0 spaces for freshmen on WesMaps, you can still ask for the professor’s permission to take the class. If there’s space, the professor would probably allow you into the class and might even provide you with additional support throughout the semester. However, you really can’t take a class if the freshmen bucket is crossed out entirely (marked with an 'X'). For your first semester, you should always plan to enroll in at least 4 full-credit classes. If the worst happens, you can withdraw from one of your classes and still complete the semester. Wesleyan requires that a student take at least 3 full-credit classes per semester to be considered enrolled full-time. Should you find yourself wanting to take 5 or more classes, talk to your advisor. Some will raise your credit limit without question, while others are more strict about it. Make sure to advocate for yourself if you think you can handle five full-credit courses as a first-year. However, keep in mind the ‘Rule of Seven’ (if you don’t know about it now, you will by the end of orientation). You may hear about Student Forums, which are Pass/Fail classes designed and led by students, along with a faculty advisor. While these courses can be taken for credit, there is a limit  to how many student forum credits will actually count towards graduation. Lastly, know that you will probably make some mistakes with pre-reg and drop/add. That’s okay. The good news is that you will have plenty of chances not to make those mistakes in the future. You could prepare way ahead of time, and plan every detail meticulously, and still not be completely happy with what you receive, but the academic freedom you have as a freshman at Wes is really quite precious. Cherish it.  Good luck out there!

This is a part of Wesleying's 2025 Unofficial Orientation Series. You can check out our welcome post with links to other articles here. Orientation is a wild time. There are the parties you hear about people going to, but have no idea how to find. There are those first awkward meals with your hallmates/roommates. There are the nights when you curl up in bed with a picture of your best friends from high school and wonder why you didn’t just follow them to college. Our goal today is to teach you (nearly) everything you need to know in order to make the most out of your orientation experience! REGISTRATION Definitely count on meeting the cardinal on one of your first days here. No, not t he one tha t looks like an angry bird.  Before you do anything else, you’re going to want to register. Registration is usually in your assigned dorm hall. You’ll go down a line of tables and people will hand you important papers, wi-fi instructions, and instructions for filing your W-9 tax form (important for anyone who’s planning on working a campus job). You'll also get Wes swag to rock for the next four years, like your Wes2029 t-shirt (hopefully more stylish than the 2025 one), a reusable cup, and drawstring bags. Hang on to this stuff: it's more useful than it seems, and you’ll thank yourself later when your parents are gone and you have no idea what’s going on. MOVE-IN This is the most hectic part of the entire orientation process at Wes. Depending on where your dorm is, you will be directed to bring your car/truck/whatever to a certain unloading location. There, you will get  everything  out of your car and into a taped-off section of ground so that your parents can move the car to a more permanent parking spot and make room for one of the other 800-and-something frosh trying to unload their stuff. While this is happening, you will go up to a table with orientation workers who will get you your room key and point you in the general direction of your new home for the next year. Then, student volunteers (usually athletes who had to move in early for pre-season practice) will help you move all your stuff from the unloading area to your room. There are some carts available, but you’re going to end up carrying a lot of stuff, so dress accordingly (and wear close-toed shoe—take it from someone who dropped  a mini-fridge on their toe during move in). #MoveInHack: Label all of your stuff with your name and room number.  Get a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie, or if you’re feeling really fancy, print out some sticky labels. There’s going to be so much stuff everywhere, and you don’t want the box with your underwear and shower caddy accidentally ending up in some stranger’s room down the hall. (Trust me, you  will  want to shower and change as soon as you’re done moving in. It is HOT, and most of you won’t be fortunate enough to be living in Hotel Bennet with AC.) Once all your things are moved in, you get to begin the fun process of fitting all the stuff you thought you needed into a room that is a solid 25% smaller than you pictured it being. If your mom is anything like mine, she will insist on organizing your bookshelf by genre and title. But that’s okay, because she will be gone before you know it, and you’ll miss her organizational skills.   OFFICIAL ORIENTATION ACTIVITES Get ready to sit uncomfortably close to a complete stranger as we capture the class photo. This, and Graduation are probably the only times you’ll ever be with all 700-and-something people in your class year! It's a great time to start talking to people and making friends. New Student Orientation rolled out a digital schedule on the app  Corq . To find the schedule for Official Orientation, download Corq on your phone and search for “Wesleyan New Student Orientation.” Download it and you’re good to go! Make sure to keep checking it for more details. Once the schedule is posted, you’ll notice that there are more sessions than you can possibly go to (and definitely way more than you’ll want to). Some sessions are listed as “mandatory,” and you really should do your best to attend all of those. While no one is going to track you down and drag you out of your newly-decorated dorm room, it really is important to show up to these sessions. In addition to providing you with important information as new members of the Wesleyan community, these are also great places to make some friends. Most of the mandatory sessions will be with your orientation group, so this is another great opportunity for ~bonding~. You’ll be sharing a campus with these people for a year, so it’s in your best interest to be on friendly terms with them. That is not to say that you’re going to be besties with your whole orientation group, but it’s much nicer to come home to a smile or a wave from your neighbors than awkwardly pretending you didn’t see each other to avoid having to interact. They’re also going to take a giant panoramic photo of the entire class on the steps behind Olin Library. It’s going to be hectic, but it’ll be a nice memory to look back on (and to find your friends/enemies/Hinge matches on once it’s posted). You should definitely show up to this. Then there are all the other sessions. There are departmental open houses, meetings for groups like first-generation and low-income students, financial aid info sessions, and ice cream mixers. Again, no one is forcing you to go to any of these, but if you have any questions, these are a really good place to get them answered. Also, going to these keeps you from being bored and alone in your room all day. As they tell you on the  Official Orientation website : “Some events are required as an essential part of Orientation. There will also be many optional events, which you’ll be able to choose from according to your interests. Orientation programs will help you form a foundation for your college life, and students often find themselves at a disadvantage when they miss essential events. We have planned time for you to move in, and there is also free time during the weekend.” Some of my personal favorite events at orientation last year were In the Company of Others and Common Moment! Devon Cooper ’19  shares one of her favorite, non-mandatory orientation experiences: “Even if other people think something is super dorky ( cough cough square dancing in Andrus Field), just DO IT! You will end up having tons of fun and being able to tell some pretty fun stories about it later :)” The best part about orientation is that you get to shape your own experience. Most of you won’t come into college knowing that many people, if any, and the only way to change that is to put yourself out there. Sit next to someone new. Compliment someone on their outfit/shoes/hair/music/any other thing you can bond over. Reach out to the person sitting alone in Usdan and invite them to join your group. Since everyone will be overwhelmed by the orientation process, you won't seem weird whatsoever for being proactive and friendly. TL;DR:  Go to the mandatory sessions, go to the non-mandatory sessions, meet new people, have fun! UNOFFICIAL ACTIVITIES DURING OFFICIAL ORIENTATION An actual photo of you hanging with all your homies on Foss You’ll have plenty to do if you just go to the official orientation events, but we all know that there’s plenty of stuff that happens outside the official schedule. As good Wesleyan students, you’ll probably spend an afternoon or two lounging on Foss Hill with your orientation besties. Don’t feel weird approaching a group of people chilling on Foss—that’s what this entire week is for. Then, there’s t he parties. For many of you, this will be your first foray into the world of non-parent-chaperoned partying. You may experience the ultimate orientation canon event of walking up and down Fountain with a group of freshman on the hunt for parties (mortifying, but builds character). There may be drinking. There may be dancing. There may be hooking up in shady corners of houses that you don’t know how to find your way out of. The key to a fun orientation party experience is to follow the golden rule: everything in moderation. The majority of ambulances are called within the first couple weeks of school as people learn their limits the hard way. Don't be that person! There will be plenty of parties throughout the year. There will be plenty of times to drunkenly make out with a stranger (or two) on the dance floor. There will be plenty of time to see how bad of a hangover you can give yourself. Don’t feel compelled to have every college experience in the book during your first week. MAKING FRIENDS Orientation is the time when you’ll meet so many new people that you’ll begin to doubt that Wesleyan actually has less than 3,500 students. (Don’t worry: in a few months, you’ll start to realize exactly how small this place really is.) In order to help you on your journey to make those lifelong college friends that everyone gushes about, here are a few tips and tricks to use during orientation and beyond: Leave your door open When you’re in your room and you feel like being social (especially in first-year dorms), leaving your door open effortlessly increases the chances of meeting new people in your building, especially your hallmates. It sort of acts like an open invitation to passersby to say “hi.” You’re going to thank me for this when it’s freezing outside and you have friends in your building/floor. (RAs can sometimes take issue with this, so just be careful with it, and if it really isn't allowed, consider getting a whiteboard for your door or something else fun.) Eat at Usdan Usdan is by far the most social eating space on campus. It’s almost always crowded during mealtimes, so it’s easy to bump into people. There’s a good chance you might be in the sandwich line with that cool kid with the glasses from film—what better way to get to know each other than to strike up a conversation about yesterday’s class? Especially early in the year, try eating with people you recognize. Lots of people are happy to have someone new to chat with during a meal. Are you going to be a loud side person or a quiet side person? As a side note—make friends with the Usdan workers and chefs; they wor k super hard, and a smile and quick chat can make their shifts much more pleasant. ALSO, please clean up after yourself! Just smile and wave , boys. Smile and wave. This is a small campus; even though you won’t meet everyone, you’ll definitely start to notice a lot of the same faces once you form a routine. Don’t awkwardly look at the ground or pretend to answer a call you’re really not getting when you bump into familiar faces. Be friendly! Say hi! Smile as you pass! It’s not weird, trust me. I do it all the time and I haven’t been rejected yet. You never know who you will meet on your way to class. Go to events—and invite people to come with you Some of my closest friends were acquaintances I invited to performances, meals, or even walks to Rite Aid ( fakeshark:  RIP). It’s great to feel comfortable going to things alone, especially as schedules get busier, but it’s also really nice to have company. Especially if you get socially anxious, going to a Spike Tape show or a concert in the CFA is a great lowkey way to get to know someone: there’s a built-in conversation topic and activity, and you can always hang out afterwards if you hit it off. Get involved with student groups There are  SO many clubs, teams, and societies  on campus that it’s pretty hard  not  to be involved in some capacity. Being active on campus gives you an instant network of people that you share interests with. Many groups on campus also host lots of pre-games, outings and formals for their members, increasing the chances of friend-making even more. This is a great way to meet upperclassmen, and to expand your friend group beyond your hallmates, and/or orientation friends. Which leads me to… Maintain various different groups and relationships It’s easy to get really close really fast when you start college, and that’s a good thing! That being said, remember to spend time with different people. You and your roommate may get along really well, but if you spend all your time together, there’s likely to be some tension. Most of us are used to having distance from our friends—going home after high school, for example.  This distance is pretty important for a lot of relationships, so don’t be afraid to take time for yourself and for other relationships. It’s okay if not all your friends know each other; it gives you an opportunity to explore different things and meet more people. Balance old and new friendships Maintaining relationships at home is important too: some of my best friends are people I’ve known since I was little. Don’t get too caught up in old relationships, though—spending all your time on the phone with your best friend from home makes it hard to make new friends. As important as old friends are, having friends who understand your current environment and are physically there gets more and more valuable as you get settled at Wes. You’ll be a lot less homesick when you have new friends, and you’ll have more stories for your old friends anyway. Sometimes it’ll feel like you’re leading two different lives: one with your friends at Wes, and one with your friends back home. It’s pretty fun! Go out on the weekends—and follow up There’s tons to do on the weekends, especially when workloads are light and the weather is still nice. Apart from parties, there are tons of art and performance events, both university and student-produced, sporting events, and student group activities. The weekends are also good opportunities to grab a meal in Middletown, or just to hang out with friends in their rooms or on Foss. Especially at the beginning of the year, you meet lots of people going out. Just talking to people when you’re drunk, however, isn’t the best way to make lasting friendships. If you have a cool conversation with someone in the Fountain back yards, say hi the next time you see them. Invite them to grab a meal with you during the week. I know way too many people, myself included, with the tendency to awkwardly avoid people we meet at parties, which is super silly. Probably (hopefully) they remember you and were also into the conversation; if they don’t, you get to bond over their crazy night. Relax, nothing’s set in stone You’re going to make friends. You’re going to make friends you don’t stay friends with. You’re going to make acquaintance-friend hybrids you feel differently about over the course of your time at Wesleyan. You’re probably going to make friends you later hook up with and then feel really awkward around for a while. You’re going to end up with the phone numbers of people you talked to twice during orientation. The point being, people will change and grow over the next four years and your relationships will change and grow with them. And though the couple days of orientation feels like literal ages, remind yourself that it’ll feel like a distant memory soon. Don’t stress if you don’t immediately find people you can see yourself being friends with forever. Keep making new friends—your random Usdan acquaintance might end up being your best friend later on. It often feels like everyone has a wonderful, permanent group of friends they’re completely thrilled with, but lots of people are open to new relationships, so take advantage. Best of luck, new (and returning) students. Make lots of friends—maybe even some here at Wesleying! ADJUSTMENT, ADVISORS, AND COURSE SELECTION—OH MY! We know you’re freaking out about classes. There’s people who are here to help. Sometime during orientation, you’ll have a chance to sit down with several different people to help you plot out your academic trajectory for the next semester, year, or if you’ve really figured out your shit, four years. You’ll probably start off with a Peer Advisor. Each Orientation Group is assigned one of these students to help them get a better feel for what types of classes they may want to take. You’ll have the opportunity to meet with this person in both group and individual settings. Then, you’ll have both group and individual advising sessions with your faculty pre-major advisor. This person is usually assigned to you because they teach one of the courses you got during pre-registration, or teach in a department that you’ve expressed an interest in. It’s okay if they don’t end up actually being your instructor (I dropped the class my advisor taught immediately once adjustment began), or even in your intended department, because they’re still a great resource to help you navigate academics at Wes. One thing to keep in mind as you meet with your advisor is that they will likely not remain your advisor all four years. Once you declare a major, you will be assigned/select a major advisor in that department. While your pre-major advisor may not be able to give you tailored advice based on your specific academic interests, they can usually point you to someone who can. You will meet with your faculty advisor every semester during pre-registration/adjustment for them to approve your schedule. If you don’t, you may not be registered for classes. It is your responsibility to set up those meetings; think of it as one of your first adult-college-responsibilities. We hope this guide to Official Orientation helps you as you embark on your Wesleyan journey. If there’s anything you still have questions about, please reach out to us via Instagram or email , or in the comments!