By Graham "GSM" Matthews

This weekly blog will document my firsthand experiences as a student at Endicott College. Additionally, I will attempt to offer advice to fellow college students or those looking to attend college down the line.

Without a doubt, Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. It has been for as long as I can remember. Christmas clocks in at a close second, but nothing beats the awesomeness of Halloween. It is the one night of the year that you can dress up and be whoever (or whatever) you want to be. It is a day filled with fun, surprises, tricks and treats. Granted, at the age of 18, I won't be going out trick or treating (especially since I am in college, that would be weird), but that doesn't mean I won't be having fun come Halloween night.

As I have expressed in past posts, I am not one to attend parties often. Actually, I could probably count how many parties I have attended in my entire life on one hand (family parties and stuff of that nature don't count). I just tend not to have much fun as others do at social gathers, especially considering the fact I am straightedge. I would have enjoy my own personal privacy than to go with others, but my introversion hasn't stopped me from going out trick of treating in the past. Oddly enough, I have many more fond memories of Halloween than I do of Christmas and other holidays, which is probably why it is among my favorite days of the year.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

This weekly blog will document my firsthand experiences as a student at Endicott College. Additionally, I will attempt to offer advice to fellow college students or those looking to attend college down the line.

Unless you attend a college that is close to home, odds are that you probably won't know many of the people on your campus upon your arrival. Sure, you get to know people at summer orientation (if your college has one of those) and can form some friendships there, but for the most part, you are going into college without knowing almost anyone. That might be intimidating to some, and welcoming for others. Personally, I fall under the latter category. I couldn't wait any longer to leave high school behind and move on to something new, including meeting some new people. In basic terms, I wasn't particularly fond of many people at my high school, so graduation couldn't have come soon enough.  Then again, unlike most, I am more of an introverted person and enjoy my own personal privacy as opposed to being around other people. That is just who I am, and I have come to learn that college is the perfect place for someone like me.

That being said, I don't despise all of humanity and do enjoy being around select few people. As I write this, I am at the library and on my way here, I greeted at least five people I consider to be acquaintances  There is a difference between acquaintances and friends, but that is another discussion for another day. Anyway, as a freshman, you will be at the bottom of the totem pole. Upperclassmen are bound to look down on you, so don't be surprised if they do. Surely you will do the same thing when you are at their level, too (you probably did it as a senior in high school). The important thing is to make friends with people either in your dorm, classes, or major. That way, you can help each other out with homework and have something to do and/or discuss when you are together.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

This weekly blog will document my firsthand experiences as a student at Endicott College. Additionally, I will attempt to offer advice to fellow college students or those looking to attend college down the line.

When traveling, it is not unusual for one to come down with homesickness. Like a common cold, it doesn't last long, but popping pills isn't the cure. The only cure for homesickness is time. In due time, you will grow accustomed to your new surroundings and more than likely forget all about home. Depending on how long you are there for, you might even miss it there once you eventually depart back home. Whether it be your family, friends, significant other or just your home, there will always be something that you long for most when you are away.

Unlike when you are on vacation, however, your parents aren't with you there at college. Your friends and significant other probably won't be there, either (unless they also attend there). Normally, one goes on vacation for a week or two, but being at college is much longer. Depending on how far away you live from home, you might not be home for nearly two to three months depending on when your breaks are. Thus, it is typical for someone to miss being home as they depart for college, but trust me, it is something you overcome rather quickly.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

This weekly blog will document my firsthand experiences as a student at Endicott College. Additionally, I will attempt to offer advice to fellow college students or those looking to attend college down the line.

No matter what, people will always find something to complain about. It is simply a part of our human nature. Whether it be having too much homework or being too tired, there hasn't been a day of my college career thus far that I haven't heard someone complain about something. The most common complain I've heard, however, is one about the food that is served here at Endicott College. I think we can all agree that school food isn't the best. More often than not, it isn't produced at the school itself and is usually shipped in from somewhere else, meaning it isn't fresh at all. I didn't hate the food served at my elementary/middle/high school, but I sure wish it was better. The biggest problem with food in school systems is that there isn't much variety. That changes once you get older, and I have found that there is a wide variety of food to choose from here at college.

That being said, that is one less reason to complain about school food. With so much to choose from, there has to be at least one thing that you like. I am not sure if this is the case with other colleges, but at Endicott, you pay the bill for the food upfront and are subjected to a certain amount of meals each week at the cafeteria. I don't even use up most of my meals since I venture to other food chains on campus, which brings me to my next week. In most colleges, there is more than one place to get food. So, if there is absolutely nothing for you at your college cafeteria, why not explore other parts of the campus in hopes of finding a place that does serve something that you will like?