Editor’s note: This post, copied wholesale from my (defunct?) Medium blog is more to serve as a placeholder than as a true First Post. Originally drafted and published in Summer 2022.

aka How to survive your first year at the 5Cs by someone who barely did

Disclaimer: I am a rising sophomore at Pitzer College. Many of these tips are relevant to college freshmen regardless of institution, but some of them aren’t. Also, I’ve only been in college for a year, so my advice may be rather bad. I take no responsibility for any harm that may come to you after following the tips laid out here.

Socializing, making friends, and how to avoid being lonely

I spent most of the first semester overwhelmed, depressed, and generally not interesting to be around.

My biggest regret from my first year, perhaps because of my bias toward prioritizing career and academics, is actually social in nature. I spent most of the first semester overwhelmed, depressed, and generally not interesting to be around. There are a variety of reasons for this, and I am not angry at myself for my mental state at the time. But I do wish I’d tried harder to be social when making friends was easy, during orientation and the first couple weeks of school. There are opportunities to make friends later on and lots of people don’t stick with their initial groups! But my lack of effort in socializing early made the first semester far lonelier than it had to be. If it’s at all possible, try to move past whatever is keeping you isolated so you don’t get left behind.

Other tips:

• Go to everything. Talk to everyone. Walk up to random people on the mounds and start conversations. Ask that person you’ve spoken to once if they want to get lunch. Orientation is really the only time where this won’t be kind of socially awkward, so take advantage. Pitzer’s a pretty small school so if you’re good at this you’ll end up kind of knowing everybody by the end. If you’re not that outgoing, that’s okay, but try to make yourself available for other people approaching you! My main mistake was purposefully going off by myself because I was stressed, and I ended up missing a lot of chances to mingle.
• Join more clubs than you think you’ll have time for and then drop a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶ the boring ones. The clubs live on Instagram (and Engage!) but you can also meet them at in person club fairs.
• I’m not a party person, so take my perspective with a grain of salt! As far as I can tell, Pitzer students definitely go to parties, but we don’t generally host them. Instead, we sit in circles on the ground smoking weed and host small dorm room kickbacks. The freshman dorms are strict about alcohol, so Mead (the upperclassmen/senior dorms) gets the most action. Claremont McKenna is right next door if you’re craving the frat party experience. The other colleges also host big loud college parties if that’s more your vibe.
• Most people move Student Talk (our unmoderated student email list) to a separate folder or unsubscribe entirely. Personally, I think that’s the coward’s way out, but I like having a million notifications.
• Keep in mind that a big part of the school will see your Student Talk posts, and proofread them accordingly. It tends to reproduce some of the negative aspects of social media. Be cautious when expressing potentially controversial opinions.
• The chickens are your new best friends.

Courses, registration, and whether college is actually hard

I took a gap year after the last semester of high school during which my school district basically gave up during COVID. I expected the re-entry into education to be rough after this extended break. It was, but I also think my professors were aware that their classes had a lot of freshmen and scaled difficulty over the semester accordingly. So be stressed, but not that stressed. There’s a lot of support available and you will most likely be fine. Pitzer is generally easy on grading, anecdotally the easiest of the 5Cs. Unless your professor’s ratemyprofessor is a crime scene, your classes will probably be manageable.

Other tips:

• If you want to force yourself not to leave an essay until the last minute, schedule a Writing Center appointment for a bit before the deadline. Now you have peer pressure to actually write a draft in advance! They also generally give good feedback and are especially helpful if you don’t have much college prep essay writing experience.
• Registration is hell. You’ll feel like you got screwed regardless but it’ll shake out in the wash. Send PERM(ission to enroll request)s early and, if you’re not a coward like me, follow up emails to the professors. In theory you’ll get an email if one’s accepted, but it’s worth checking back regularly.
• Here’s a template PERM: Hello! I’m [first name], a first year interested in studying/majoring in [subject]. [interesting perspective you’d bring to the class, why you’re interested in this subject specifically, what the class would do for you or something else to make the request standout. Keep in mind everyone submitting a PERM is presumably interested in the subject] so I’d like to take this class! Thank you.
• The registration portal is incredibly bad. I recommend using hyperschedule (simpler scheduler), 5scheduler (more complex scheduler with more features) and/or ClaremontCourses to supplement it.
• Keep in mind walk times between classes. I did not enjoy having a fifteen minute buffer between two on campus classes in the second semester because it felt like I always had to rush.
• I’m currently speed-running the calculus sequence over the summer, and let me tell you, it’s not ideal. If you think there’s any smidgen of a chance that you’ll choose a major path that requires it, figure out your plan early. Start it first semester if you can. I really recommend taking the placement test(s) even if you don’t think you’ll need it, because you’ll only forget more as time goes on.
• Obsessing over registration and grad/major requirements was not healthy but at least I’m done with most of my Pitzer graduation requirements. I’m under no pressure even though I’m starting my major at the beginning of sophomore year. You can find the graduation requirements on the major declaration form and the major requirements (along with lots of other helpful info) in the college’s catalog. I recommend making your own version of these sheets to reference and fill out. I use Notion but a Google Sheet would work as well.
• As everyone says, you should go to office hours. Now, I didn’t go to office hours unless I was at my breaking point. It usually worked out for me, but I would have been a happier student if I went more regularly. Next year I’m going to try to build relationships with the professors outside my crisis times. Part of liking your professors is taking the time to get to know them. It’s a lot easier to enjoy yourself if you like your professors.
• Go study at the big library; it’s what it’s there for. Talk to a librarian about something, check out their events, wander the halls, even check out a book. It’s not actually that long of a walk from Pitzer; you’re just lazy.
• Don’t take an 8 am class. Just don’t, man. It isn’t worth it.

Congrats, it’s now time to choose your major, career, and life path…

Okay, not really. You don’t have to declare your major until registration begins for junior year (so about 2/3rds of the way through sophomore spring). But if you’re eligible for work-study, you should get on that as soon as possible as there’s a decent amount of competition. If you want the best choices, you should try to beat the more disorganized people to the applications. I didn’t have an issue but I had existing job experience, started early, and applied to a bunch of jobs. I know some people got screwed by the system, so keep an eye on it. There will be info coming out about it someday, but the main thing is to look for new job postings on Handshake.

Boring work-study jobs are good because you can do homework. That being said, I’m keeping the busier of my two jobs because I have a closer relationship with my manager. Keep in mind whether you like the vibes of the person you interview with if you have job options.

Other tips:

• If you want to do computer science, buddy, you are at the wrong school. Do yourself a favor and a) figure that out quickly and b) transfer. Don’t be like me and end up with a data science major. Okay, I’m joking; I do want my major! The data science program at CMC is good and Pitzer is a decent choice if you want to do data for a social science. [Edit: I’ve heard from another student that about 80% of the Pitzer freshmen who wanted to get into the Harvey Mudd classes required to major off campus in CS were able to. I haven’t spoken directly to the source on this, but I have to assume it’s accurate. In that case, my advice is to have a backup plan to transfer ready to put into motion if you don’t get into the necessary classes.]
• Off campus majors are more unstable and less flexible, especially if they’re impacted (overfull). Planning on coming to Pitzer but majoring somewhere else is a gamble. You can check the majors and minors Pitzer offers here. The general rule is if Pitzer doesn’t offer it but another college does, Pitzer will allow you to join the off campus program. Whether the other college will take you is… less of a guarantee.
• If you’re planning on studying abroad, it’s worth it to talk to an advisor early, especially if you already have your major plan worked out.
• I worked in the Career Services office last year and can vouch for their passion for helping us with job stuff. If you need interview prep, connections, help with Handshake or a similar tool, resume reviews, or even just someone to discuss some broad interests with, they’re a helpful resource.

How to live with strangers and also home decorating tips

I’d never shared a room with someone for longer than a month and a half before college and I worried about how it’d turn out. Luckily for me, my choice to leave my roommate selection up to Pitzer was a good one. I got along fine with my roommate, settling somewhere around amicable acquaintances with no major issues. I didn’t get to know my suitemates much, but aside from some disagreements over cleaning (my bad for being irresponsible, honestly) we got along as well.

I’m lucky, though. Switching roommates is more common than you’d might expect and lots of people have roommate horror stories. Regardless, whether you find someone or let the algorithm choose for you, once it’s done there’s nothing much to do other than hit each other up on Instagram and hope no one’s weird.

Other tips:

• Plan on coordinating buying a mini-fridge and microwave with your roommate. The budget option is ReRoom (students selling cheap stuff from previous students) during move-in. You may also want to discuss bathroom accoutrements with your suite, whether that’s rugs for the shower or storage for the bathroom. For people who menstruate, some kind of shelving and a small trash can in the toilet room will keep things organized.
• Loft your bed. The only downside is it makes making your bed a nightmare, and also you might fall out of it. Otherwise it’s all wins. So much extra space. You’ll find out whether your bed loft application was accepted soon enough to plan around it, but you may arrive on campus and find it has not actually been lofted yet. If that happens, you should bug facilities about it.
• Set up a cleaning schedule with your suite and then stick to it as best as possible because arguing over it sucks. Do your best not to be like me and leave dirty dishes in the bathroom for days. Have compassion for yourself when you do.
• If you live on the ground floor and have interest in a hammock, you should get one and claim the space before your neighbors do. Also, having plants or a laundry hanger or whatever in front of your dorm increases overall vibes.
• Don’t worry too much about forgetting things if you can afford to buy duplicates once you get to campus. There’s a Target nearby with weekly shuttles from campus, and I think they make it available as early as orientation if you forgot something important. I bought a trash can.
• If you have the storage/luggage space, I’d recommend bringing a lot of clothes so you don’t have to do weekly laundry. The laundry rooms can be pretty crowded at peak times.

Miscellaneous campus life stuff

Biking is a big thing on campus! I don’t do it because I haven’t needed to for off campus classes yet, but lots of people bike. There’s a program to provide bikes and bike repair for students, but it took a while (a couple months, if I remember correctly) to get started. Hopefully that was an outlier due to COVID. You might want to bring your bike from home if you’re able. If you don’t know how to bike, look into learning over the summer.

Freshmen do not get parking permits, with very few exceptions (frequent off-campus medical appointments and approved internships, I think). Sophomores do not get parking permits unless they get placed in off-campus housing (okay, technically they call Claremont Collegiate Apartments “on-campus” but it’s not), with very few exceptions. Juniors might get parking permits if there aren’t too many sophomores with them. Seniors get parking permits.

They’ll tell you there’s an on-campus car rental system called Zipcar, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist. If you want to go farther than the village, you will need a rideshare, a friend with a car, or a willingness to brave LA’s public transit system.

Other tips:

• You need comfy walking shoes, especially if you have off-campus classes (you probably won’t as a first year) or if you plan on frequenting the village. There is so much walking in college. See also: figuring out how to pack your bag lightly, finding something that doesn’t hurt your back, and selecting lighter supplies.
• McConnell is good, actually — don’t let anyone tell you otherwise — but also if/when they open cross campus dining, take advantage. It rules. The Pit Stop is good (❤ to the baristas) and the Shakedown is… fine (I have heard it described as “stoner food”).
• Probably start with the lowest meal plan and then bump it up if you seem to run out. Adjusting it down is more difficult.
• The Outback is cool. You should go hang out there.
• It’s hot and humid in Claremont, so be prepared to be a sweaty mess for a while. Pack a lot of shorts, short sleeves, and a couple light jackets for the nighttime and you’ll be fine until Thanksgiving Break.
• Go to the pool when it’s warm because it won’t be warm forever!
• If you need to pick up prescriptions, you’ll probably do so at Hendricks Pharmacy in the village (about a 30-minute walk from campus).
• You’ll get medical care from Student Health Services. If you have a medical history, adding it to the health portal once you get access will make your life easier later on. You can also schedule appointments over the summer for the very start of school if you have something you want to get help on as soon as you get to campus. Keep in mind that SHS is a clinic, not a hospital, so unless it’s a service they mention on the webpage you may end up needing to go off campus.
• If you already have healthcare, don’t forget to opt out of the student plan (SHIP). Don’t worry too much about forgetting, though; it’s a ton of money and the school will email you about it a lot. I think the form’s due in September.
• Air quality kind of sucks here (smog and forest fire smoke), so if you have allergies or existing respiratory issues you may want to invest in an air purifier and plan on keeping an eye on AQI.

Thanks for reading all that! I hope it was helpful. Overall, I think these tips matter but keep in mind, it’s your first year. I didn’t know about most of them until significantly into the first semester, and I’ve turned out fine. You do not have to take registration or major planning very seriously, especially if you’re not planning on doing a demanding STEM degree, studying abroad, or going to a competitive grad school. Pitzer’s graduation requirements are pretty light. There’s a reason the vast majority of people who graduate do so in four years.

As difficult as it is for me to admit, academics are only part of the college experience. Most of the work I did to figure out myself and who I want to become was not done in the classroom. I hope you’ll remember to close the laptop and go live some, too.

Acknowledgements:

• the 5C Discord saw it first
• thanks to Hannah for asking the question that led to the first draft of this
• thanks to Max for perspective on the data science major and laundry
• thanks to Regan for better information on the party scene
• original post can be found here