Listen up, freshmen. There are a few things you need to know before entering the halls of academia and the corridors of the dorms.
Bring a toothbrush. No pets. And never, ever tell a professor you're going to miss his next class and then ask, "Will we be doing anything important then?"College counselors across the country are bracing for fall orientation, in which freshmen are instructed in the usual topics - choosing courses, finding one's way around campus - and the more up-to-date matters of AIDS and date rape.
But there are also the minutiae, the details of academic life that counselors say can be ignored only at a student's peril.
Boston University has a guide called "Packing 101" for freshmen moving into the dorms. For those accustomed to the comforts of life with mom and dad, some tips may be shockers.
For instance, bring a bucket to carry your toiletries to the communal bathroom. Bring sheets, but remember, the beds are 81 inches long, while standard sheets are 76 inches. Bring an iron and learn how to use it.
As for bringing a wardrobe to your dorm room, Maureen Hurley, director of orientation at BU, advised, "If there are clothes in your closet you haven't worn in two years, leave them there."
Students should count on a 40 percent increase in possessions by May - much to the chagrin of their parents, Hurley said.
Money is inevitably a sore point between freshmen and their parents. Hurley advises hashing out finances early "and not waiting until October, when the student is looking at his first $200 phone bill, and turning to mom and dad."
Students entering Wichita State University in Kansas receive a 50-page book that includes a list of 13 things never to say to your professor. Among them: "I worked too hard to get a `C' on that paper."
At Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., freshmen receive a brochure of school slang. "Turbo class" is a session running 21/2 hours; the far eastern part of the campus is called "the orient"; and a "cheapie" is the $1.50 sandwich at the campus deli.