Written by Nasir Harrison. Graphic by Ananya Panchal.
My freshman year at SCAD was full of discovery. I learned all about the ins and outs of making it out of that year alive. Since I’m here now sharing the love, I’d like to think the knowledge paid off. Being away from home and at college opens up a world of opportunity for us as freshmen. Trust me, that’s both the best thing in the world and the main reason quite a few of us ended up pulling all-nighters, spending way too much money at Ex-Libris on the wrong supplies, emailing professors too late at night about projects due that same day, and crying to our roommates about all these issues that were very preventable.
I’m here to give you some tips on how to survive even the most tumultuous of times here at SCAD. Hopefully, you’re reading this at a reasonable hour of the day and not in the middle of the night during your designated 10-minute break from working on an overdue project.
- Find somewhere to work that is NOT your dorm.
I’ve fallen victim to the, “I’m going to work in my bed today since it’s so, so relaxing, and just what I need to stay focused,” trap too many times to count. Chances are you’ll get way too comfortable and convince yourself that a short nap is just what you need to get the creative juice flowing. DO NOT TAKE THAT NAP. You may be the one person out of a million who is able to wake up when the alarm goes off and get right back to work. But if you’re not, and you happen to wake up at 11:58p.m. with a project due in the next minute, you’re going to really start regretting it.
So why not take the bed out of the equation and just go work where all you can do is think about being in bed? The Student Center just got revamped and is the perfect place to get work done. About a ten-minute walk from The Hive and Turner, it’s cozy, quiet, and the food is superb. Plus, it’s nowhere near the comfort of your dorm, which is perfect for when you need to lock in on work.
- Make sure you’re buying the right materials.
If you’re like me and are always so late to buy the starter kits from Ex Libris that the only option is to shop for each item individually, then please make sure you’re getting the correct materials. If you value your bank account and your sanity, check the names of the supplies your professor is asking for, and get EXACTLY that. Don’t fall for the old “it sounds similar so it will work” method. I promise you…it will not work. And what’s worse than spending $100 dollars on paint, gesso, brushes, Bristol and matboard, just for your professor to tell you that the only thing you managed to purchase correctly was the brushes? And of course, since you don’t have the correct materials for class that day, you have to get marked absent. Save yourself the hassle and be obnoxiously meticulous.
- Naptime is the best time—learn where you can get some shut-eye.
Having your schedule picked for you the entirety of freshman year is both the best and worst thing ever. My first quarter schedule was divinely constructed (and to my advisor, thank you very much). But for others, you may not get so lucky. Quite a few of you will be enrolled in the good old 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the same day. It may not seem terrible at first, but as the quarter trudges on you’ll find yourself looking to take a quick nap in the time you have between classes. So, as the biggest supporter of the motto “sleep comes before everything,” here are a few places I’ve rested my head over the years.
3a. The Arnold Hall lounge – You’ll be here for a lot of your foundation classes, so familiarize yourself with the comfortable couches in this room. It’s a bit public, but it’s great in a pinch.
3b. Empty classrooms – It sounds insane, but find a classroom that isn’t occupied for a class period and knock out. I’ve stuffed a blanket in my backpack before and had the best nap on the floor of a vacant Herstand Hall room.
3c. Your car – If you drive to class, some of the best sleep you can get is when you recline your chair all the way back and take off the headrest. So many people forget you can remove that top part of the seat, and trust me, it changes the game. Bonus points if you bring some makeshift curtains to cover the windows and get the full experience.
- Eat somewhere other than the Hive. Please.
There is more to the world than the Hive Cafe. I promise you, the food options at this school are plentiful and amazing. Almost every residence hall has its own dining hall. If you have time after class, grab a friend, hop on a random bus line, and go explore. Or you can be a bit more selective and check out what’s being served for breakfast/lunch/dinner for that day and travel accordingly. And yes, I know the Hive is as convenient as can be for a new bee, but you’re bound to get sick of it if it’s the only thing you’re eating. Imagine you’re having the most grueling work session of your life, and you have to go eat hive chicken and pizza for the third time today. Not too fun is it? Well I know my way around SCAD dining halls, and definitely have a few favorites you should check out:
4a. Amigos Nuevos – It’s nestled at the back of Turner and is some of the most filling food you can get. If you’re looking to eat here after class, be sure to schedule your order ahead of time in the SCAD app since this place gets absurdly busy after class. I recommend the burrito bowl from here since it’s never done me wrong, but they also make amazing nachos and tacos.
4b. Cargo
This lovely dining hall is found at River, and even though there are quite a few mixed reviews about the food here, I’m a die hard fan. I recommend coming here for breakfast or brunch on the weekends, though the weekly dinner options are usually delicious as well. This year they made Cargo self-serve which is all the more reason to go try it out! The cheese grits and breakfast tacos they sometimes have are absolutely top notch.
4c. Carnival
Now this is the most iconic dining hall at SCAD. Located right across the street from Montgomery Hall (AKA Monty), Carnival offers a variety of meals from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. It is always bustling with students, so if you come after class, be ready to brave the line that wraps around the building. Trust me, it’s worth it. The chicken katsu and teriyaki chicken will bring tears to your eyes.
4d. WIT’s
This is one of SCAD’s newest dining options, and it is amazing. The ambience is cute and cozy and it’s right inside of the newly furnished Student Center. Plus they make a killer smoothie here. There’s almost nothing better to do than go check out WIT’s—so bring a book, grab a drink and hot sandwich, and enjoy yourself!
- CTRL S
Look at your keyboard right now and memorize this shortcut. It will save your life and mental wellbeing more times than you know. Computers can be unpredictable, and the last thing you want is for all your hard work to be flushed down the drain and unrecoverable because you didn’t save it. CTRL/CMD S, to the point where you dream about it. It should be second nature to you so that you don’t ever have to start a second time on a project, and if saying that phrase doesn’t make you immediately look for the nearest keyboard, then you aren’t pressing it enough.
- Embrace the all-nighters
It’s every student’s worst nightmare—the inevitable all-nighter. Trust me, it doesn’t matter how on top of your work you are, or how fast you can get work done. SCAD’s workload has a way of sneaking up to you when you least expect it. Maybe you get back to your dorm after hanging with friends and realize you have a project due at 11:59 that you thought was due the following day, or you keep pushing back an assignment you thought would be easy, but turns out to be specially crafted to drive you insane. Just know that however it may occur, you’ll spend at least one night burning the midnight oil. I’ve been there, and here’s what you have to do to stay sane:
6a. Put something on in the background – You can start with music, but don’t let it be all you have playing. Once you finish a playlist, move on to a video about something you do not care about in the slightest. It’s nice to have variety in what you listen to when you’re working non-stop on the same project for an extended amount of time.
6b. Put your phone across the room – There’s an incredibly low chance that you’ll need something on your phone in the midst of your all-nighter. Unless you’re using it to watch something, literally put it across the room out of arms reach.
6c. Take a time-lapse of yourself – If you’re not too fond of your phone being out of reach, then prop it up and record a time-lapse of yourself working. It’s always gratifying to watch your work come to completion in twenty seconds when in reality it took you hours. Plus, it’s another wonderful way to keep you from scrolling endlessly.
6d. Stay awake at all costs – drink something sugary, chew gum, put ice down your shirt. Do ANYTHING to keep your eyes open. I used to walk around on my hands whenever I found myself getting tired. Was it weird? Oh, most definitely. But did it work? Sure did. The one time I let myself fall asleep during an all-nighter ended in me being woken up by a custodian the following morning, looking at my phone to see that I slept through an hour of my class, and that both my project and I were marked missing from class. Moral of the story—please stay awake.
There’s nothing more important than having fun and exploring during your freshmen year. But because of that, you’re bound to end up in some not so fun situations just like I did. And even though some of them can be considered canon events in the lives of SCAD students, it doesn’t mean the consequences can’t be mitigated. The list of essentials you’ll need to survive and thrive is endless, but I hope these few tips can serve as guidance towards an amazing and memorable first year!
