Coming from the suburbs I must say that I’ve had a rather plush lifestyle of being bored on a Saturday night and being able to take the train into downtown Chicago. This meant that living in Champaign-Urbana was a definite culture shock to my pampered, city-going self.

As an incoming student, especially one from the city or the suburbs, don’t my previous statements scare you? For all the harassment that townies may take, they’re the exact people who can teach you a thing or two about adjusting to your college experience in a place that’s surrounded by corn.

A wise townie once told me one of the most helpful pieces of practical advice that I have ever received.

“Katie, the drainage systems in Champaign suck. Every time it rains, it floods.”

This may seem like a trivial piece of advice. You’re probably looking for me to give you advice about making friends, pushing boundaries and not getting wrapped up in partying or studying, whichever one is your drug of choice.

But the first time it rained my freshman year, the drainage systems were so terrible I couldn’t cross certain streets. My pants were drenched all the way up to my knees and my shoes smelled like rain water for more than a week. When living in Champaign-Urbana, watch the weather reports, carry an umbrella and know the bus routes because when it rains it pours and the streets simply can’t handle it.

On that note, I suppose I should offer some more meaningful advice. One of the most important things you can do as a student is to go somewhere off campus. And no, I’m not talking about taking a bus to the mall and back. Visiting downtown Champaign and Urbana provides one with the opportunity to visit unique stores and restaurants. There’s a lot more to central Illinois than we suburban people are able to recognize when we’re limiting ourselves to life on campus.

Missing home is natural. Every now and then you’ll get sick of the fact that the sloppy joes and the meat sauce in the cafeteria look and taste the same and are served one day apart making it obvious that they are in fact the same thing. You’ll want to dance around in your underwear in your room to the music that you’d never admit to liking, but you can’t because there’s a stranger that’s been assigned to live with you cramping your style.

But college is a chance to break away from your high school norms and comforts, and you’ll get living in a place that seems foreign down soon enough.

Most of the things you need to know are things that you have to learn, so in the end the best advice I can give you is to be ready and to be aware. You never know what life has in store for you.