She Said:

Let me start off by giving a warm welcome to the entire community of Fairfield University. I hope all of your summers were filled with the sun and the sand and a drink in your hand (with no bottom, of course).

As a senior living at the beach, I have ample time to sit and compose one of your favorite sections of The Mirror. I will make you chuckle before you sit through your agonizing math class. I will be your Carrie from ‘Sex in the City’ and help you through traumatic college relationships. I will guide you through the ins and outs of socializing at Fairfield. Buckle up kids, it’s going to be a wild ride.

Ah, the month of September. The night before second grade, I spent three hours explaining to my mother that she must go to Staples and purchase every Lisa Frank folder and gel pen because they were crucial to my social success. My plaid dress and Mary Janes were patiently waiting in my closet; the perfect outfit to impress the boys at recess.

Even though those days are long gone, I can’t help but wonder, what makes the beginning of school so crucial? It happens every year, but that feeling of a new beginning is even more intoxicating when it’s your first day of college.

So how are the freshmen holding up? If your random roommate is super creepy and you are appalled that you have been downgraded from your own vehicle to the obnoxious red StagBus, my only advice is, it will all get better in time.

Miss your high school boyfriend or bff from home yet? Get over it! This will be the best four years of your life, there’s no time for tears.

Take advantage of all your free time. Perhaps you could take a stroll to the townhouses. After all, junior boys do use their new pads as a form of bait. Quick piece of advice, girls: If you plan on spending the night, have a ride home in the a.m. No girl deserves to do the walk-of-shame down that big hill back to Regis or Jogues.

At every school there is a natural progression of life getting better as you climb the ranks toward being an upperclassman. At Fairfield, the distinction is clearer. Tiny cement cubes transform into beach front property. Trade in your second grade trapper keeper for a red Solo cup. Cheers to being in college! And as for the seniors, this is your last run, so make it count.