Woohoo! Either you're being dropped off by your family for the first time on a college campus, or you're back to the grind for another year. Either way, there are some pretty important ways to make your life a lot easier. (Also, if you haven't already, download the Fr-app. Most schools have an app geared towards freshmen and this can save you a lot of time and headache.)
*Note that this is written by a Purdue Alumni and is therefore geared towards Purdue students. However, this information can likely be adapted for most college campuses.
Make sure you know your classes, their times, locations, and how long it will take you to get from class to class. Ten minutes doesn't quite cover a leisurely walk from Armstrong to Krannert. It's best to walk your classes beforehand to know what you're up against.
Bus routes! There is a healthy divide in the Purdue (and other schools I imagine) population between people who would take the bus to their buddy's dorm next door versus the people who will trudge cross-campus across the glacier-covered sidewalks in the dead of winter. If you are anywhere in between, especially the former, you should check out the bus routes and keep one of their brochures handy. Nothing evolves more than the bus routes to reflect the ever-changing network of roads at Purdue. It becomes clear quickly that the few routes that encircle the entire campus become the only well-known and heavily-used buses. Sometimes, by checking out the other routes you can save yourself some time and stress by taking a more direct bus that won't often be at capacity.
Explore study locations. If you aren't someone who can focus at home because you get distracted by extracurricular activities or your roommate who has a contrasted workload from your own, you may need to find little study nooks. By having this study home away from home, you will have a comfortable place where your mind has been conditioned to be productive, even if just for an hour or so at a time. Sometimes finding these later in the year when you're in a pinch for time can mean that you end up only finding the study areas for the masses, which can be distracting and/or more of a social club if you're extroverted. Try to find the hidden gem locations in random buildings with libraries or tables that you can rely on to find a place every time you need one.
Comprehensive web-based map at link below:
Credit does not belong to us and we do not want to infringe on any copyrighted resources, just to provide an extra resource for students. This map can be found at https://engineering.purdue.edu/~crossley/7th_MDO_Workshop/maps_parking.htm email for credit/removal (contact.collegiatetutorsllc@gmail.com)