On Instagram straight…you know the rest.

Hello, class of ‘17. On behalf of the Torch, I’d like to welcome you to St. John’s. Before I say anything more, I’d like to praise you for picking up the fine publication you’re currently holding.

Well done, young grasshoppers.

To congratulate you on your wise decision, I’d like to offer you a bit of advice heading into your first semester at St. John’s. So sit back in that rocking/desk chair in your dorm room, pull on that red St. John’ssweatshirt, slip on your Adidas flip flops, hang on to that Storm Card-holding lanyard draped around your neck and enjoy the ride.

For all you resident students looking for some good eats, Montgoris AKA Monties isn’t all that bad. Don’t buy into the hate you’re bound to hear in the coming weeks. You’ll love mornings because of Angela’s omelets (go to torchonline.com to read up on the hype), you can never go wrong with a cold cut sandwich for lunch and the dinner is underrated. Keep an eye out for the stir-fry station. It’s my personal favorite.

And if all goes wrong, there’s always meal exchange. Just make sure you keep an eye on your Burger King intake. The freshman 15 is no joke.

Now that we’ve gone over food, let’s focus on your living situation.

You may get the best roommate(s) ever. Or you might get a terrible one. Regardless, you’re stuck with the person(s) for the year. Make the best of the situation. If you guys don’t click right away, make an effort to find some common ground.

As long as there’s mutual effort, you’ll be ringing in the good times in no time.

If you happen to get the perfect roommate – great. But remember there are over 15,000 people enrolled at St. John’s. You’ll be surprised by the different people you’ll meet throughout your four years here. I didn’t meet some of my best friends until my sophomore and junior years. There’s no saying what will happen with you.

Since the roommate situation is covered, here are some quick, but
useful tidbits:

DNY is a drag. Intramurals are a must (shout out to #dieslow). You’ll learn to loathe the mailroom. You’ll learn to love Double J. The Q46 will test your patience like no other. Law School food is the best on campus. STUDY ABROAD. The gym is always busy between 6 and 8 p.m. Buy your books online.
Vincenzo’s on Wednesdays is clutch. If you step foot into Taffner without game, ‘You gon’ learn today!’

And the Torch comes out every Wednesday…Remember that. Every Wednesday. Pick it up. I promise you won’t regret it.

I digress.

St. John’s isn’t perfect, but it offers a lot. Put yourself out there and look into organizations that fit your interests. It’s cliché, but getting involved is the best thing you can do here.

Keep an eye out for the Activities Fair in the coming weeks. I can guarantee you will discover an organization that’s perfect for you.

Also, never forget the fact that Manhattan is barely a 30-minute train ride away. Go get lost in midtown or something. While you’re at it, take a trek to Brooklyn, too. No comment on the Bronx or Staten Island, though…

This goes without saying, but make sure you check out at least one basketball game this year. Don’t miss any games involving Duke, either. I messed up bad with that one.

But if you remember anything from this article, make it this: have fun, be
smart and take a couple risks.

With that said, I’ll leave you with this: A wise man once said that ‘one should not listen to the supposed wise words of a man one believes to be wise. A truly wise person comes up with his/her own wise words.’ Moral of the story: Be yourself. Everyone else is taken. (Oscar Wilde said that. I said the other thing)