Syllabus week has passed and the Auburn students have settled into their schedules – navigating from Biggin to Lowder and everywhere in between.
However, a certain group of first-year Auburn students are still a bit clueless about Auburn’s campus and Alabama in general. For those students, here is an out-of-state student’s guide to living in Alabama.
Auburn University enrolled 8,936 out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students in 2015, according to the Office of Institutional Research.
“In fall 2015, students from all 50 states were enrolled at Auburn University, as well as U.S. citizens living abroad and students from the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico,” said Drew Clark, director of the Office of Institutional Resource.
By joining organizations and talking to people in class, students are apt to meet people from all over country.
“Definitely get involved and don't be afraid to try new things,” said Breanna Perkins, a junior in marketing. “Try to experience as much as of Auburn as possible, since you're only here for such a short time.”
Perkins is one of 205 undergraduate students from California at Auburn. Coming from so far away, Perkins got involved on campus through Alpha Kappa Psi, the business fraternity, and Diamond Dolls, the hostesses of the baseball team.
“Don’t isolate yourself,” Perkins said. “But also don't be afraid to call home when you're feeling lonely.”
Catherine Love, a junior in rehabilitation disabilities and studies from Woodinville, Washington, had similar advice.
“First semester I really only walked around with my headphones on, and I just looked down because that’s what I did in high school,” Love said. “I think the biggest thing is not having your headphones in and looking approachable … just relax!”
Love mentioned freshman must have the willpower to grow up and realize how much you depended on your parents.
“You have to think outside the box,” Love said. “Realize that a bathroom doesn’t necessarily stay clean a whole year; there’s this thing called dust and it doesn’t go away. Maturity wise, you have to put yourself out there.”
Students can go through Greek life recruitment, walk along the concourse on O-days, or simply scroll through AU Involve to get a taste of what Auburn’s campus has to offer.
“Realize that the culture here is different from wherever your home is and it can be a little overwhelming at first,” Perkins said. “But Auburn is very welcoming and once you find your groove it'll feel just like home, just in a different state.”
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