1. Rain Boots: yes, these are SO practical! Go crazy, get some cool colors, or whatever-its a pain to be walking around all day with wet feet. I couldn’t survive without mine.

2. On that note, get some rain gear! A jacket with a hood is the most practical piece of clothing you could get: if you have to start carrying an umbrella around you will always have one hand occupied. Even though it doesn’t rain ALL the time, it does rain maybe once a day, though not for very long. It always helps to be prepared for anything.

3. This is more of a suggestion: I know it might be difficult to do, but if possible try and obtain a bike. Some people I know shipped their bike out here, and sometimes you can find really good deals on Craigslist or on flyers around campus. Many use longboards to get around too, and some people use unicycles… Though I do not have one, a bike would certainly be useful, and the Olympia area is really bike friendly! (Except for some really giant hills!). But, hey, no worries, if you can’t acquire one, there are plenty of people with cars, and as a student, you won’t have to pay to use the bus. I use the bus several times a day, it’s really convenient!

4. Be prepared to access a new capacity for learning! I know that might sound a bit cheesy, but it really is important to understand that Evergreen’s structure is different than the factory style of education that is found in most US schools. Here, there is a strong focus on collaborative learning, divergent thinking, and interdisciplinary academic activity. For me, anyway, that was entirely different than the high school that I went to. It is something to get really excited about!

5. Understand that you will be making a lot of choices, and though it may seem a bit daunting, it is fostering your ability to learn and grow as a person. Don’t worry, there is a lot of help available too, like academic advising or career services. Also, once you’re admitted to the school, you can start using academic advising to help you with your class choices! Making these tough choices, like about what class i should take, what projects to do for class, or what should go in my self-evaluation, have been really constructive.

I hope this helps address some of your questions or concerns, and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me with any questions at andeka20@evergreen.edu

I will be attending Evergreen as a full time student starting in September 2012. I’m from a little town on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri, so needless to say this is a huge transition for me. I’m looking for a little advice as to how to go about my first year at probably the most unconventional, yet coolest campus I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. Top 5 things a student needs at Evergreen? Rain boots: tacky or practical?

Thanks so much for your help,
Amy