The Sunday before classes begin is one of the most hectic days of the year. After all the freshmen have moved in and spent their first weekend on campus, most people are looking forward to, or dreading, the first day of classes.

But before the reality of school sets in, thousands of students flock to Quad Day.

Quad Day is when every Registered Student Organization, RSO, at the University sets up a booth on the quad and surrounding areas. They promote their group and with over 1,400 RSOs, it can get pretty chaotic.

While it may seem impossible to navigate around the thousands of students that flood the quad, don’t worry; Quad Day can be one of the most informative and exciting days of your fall semester.

If you follow these tips, you’re bound to have a successful Quad Day. And who knows, you may just discover a passion you didn’t know you had.

Check out all areas of Quad Day

The number of RSOs that are available at the University means that the actual quad will be packed. Every inch of grass will be used up by booths, tables, kiddie pools and an abundance of other props that organizations use to sell themselves.

That being said, groups will span from the Undergraduate Library all the way to the Union. With the sidewalks at full capacity you may feel discouraged about walking around to all of the booths and want to only visit a few that interest you.

Don’t do this

As crazy as it can get, make it a point to check out every different area. RSOs will be arranged such that similar organizations will be grouped together, so try to walk by each one.

Just because you don’t think you’ll be interested in the October Lover’s club since you believe that December is the best month and anyone who thinks differently is wrong, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still check it out. You might end up finding a great group of friends through it.

Sign up for everything

A lot of RSOs give out free goodies to people who stop by their tables. However, most of the time you have to write down your name and email address on a sign-up sheet in order to get the freebie. Even if you don’t know anything about the club and have no intention of ever joining it, put your name down anyway.

One of the best parts about Quad Day is all of the free stuff that you can get. Whether it’s t-shirts, sunglasses, keychains or bouncy balls, you’re bound to collect quite the haul of stuff by the end of the day.

Sure most of the stuff seems unnecessary, but two months from now when you’re looking for a clean cup in your dorm room and don’t want to do dishes, that free cup that you got from the juggling club will really come in handy. And you’ll be happy to have picked it up.

Take your time

Some people go into Quad Day with the mindset of getting in and out as quickly as possible. While this may be an efficient way of doing what you want to do and getting on with your day, you won’t be able to get the full Quad Day experience.

Other than preparing for classes, you shouldn’t have much to do that day. Get with a group of friends and spend a couple hours walking around.

There are so many different organizations that you should at least get a feel for what’s out there. And due to the sheer amount of people that will be there, it’ll be almost impossible to see everything quickly.

Dress appropriately

This is probably the most important piece of advice that you will receive about Quad Day: Check the weather for that Sunday. Keep in mind that you will be walking around outside for at least a couple of hours so you should dress accordingly.

The past few Quad Days happened to fall on the hottest days of the entire semester (or so it seemed). Being outside in the heat this time of year can take it’s toll, sow make sure to wear something that will keep you cool like shorts and a hat. Plenty of booths will most likely be handing out water bottles, but it isn’t a bad idea to bring your own.

This year there is a possible chance of rain forecasted for Quad Day, meaning you should probably wear a rain jacket or pack an umbrella just in case.

Overall, just remember to have a great time. Quad Day is really the one day all year that the quad is as bustling as it will be. Take it all in, people watch and find a new interest along the way. You never know what cool things you’ll find.
[email protected]