This story originally appeared in The Peak, Mustang Media Group’s arts and student culture magazine. Check out more from “The Peak: Sh*t we weren’t told, the Adulting Issue.”
It’s your first day of classes. You exit your dorm at 7:45 a.m., ready to begin life as a college student. Stepping out into the golden sunlight of late September, you are greeted by the tall mountains surrounding your new home and begin the walk to your 8:10 a.m. class, too excited to be bothered by your early wake-up.
Passing by Scout Coffee, the walk turns into a trek when you realize all your classes are down the hill from the residence halls. Your slow walk turns into a sprint to make sure you get a good seat.
Walking past the University Union (UU) on the way to the Aglish building, where apparently English and agriculture coexist because that makes sense, a metal mustang sculpture stands tall, greeting students.
After a long day of classes, you lie on Dexter Lawn, people-watching and eating an açai bowl from Shake Smart, which will soon be a staple in your daily diet. You start to feel like you are finally a college student, and a few açai bowls later, a Mustang.
First farmers market
It’s the first Thursday night Farmers Market of the quarter, and most freshmen are getting ready with their friends to go downtown. After crowding onto the packed 4A bus, squished between other excited freshmen, you arrive at the Downtown Transit Center. There’s an array of food, flowers and activities to choose from, such as bounce houses and tarot card readings.
Although it is a little overstimulating, it’s okay because it’s a classic San Luis Obispo tradition, and you are having a blast — until it’s time to go home. You take the same 4A bus back, not realizing the bus travels in a loop and this is the long way back to campus. This bus system is going to take a little bit of an adjustment to get used to.
Midterms and the sudden urge to start drinking caffeine in the morning
It’s week five and you wake up and exit your dorm bleary-eyed, wishing you could stay in bed an extra hour. You leave at 8:05 now, still in a sprint to get a good seat. Stepping out of the dorm, you almost get hit by an electric scooter and groan, almost giving up and going back to bed. Passing Scout Coffee, you get in line, overhearing the latest gossip. You order a matcha latte, your first one ever, hoping that it lives up to the hype.
When you finally receive your drink, you arrive at your class twenty minutes late, stumbling into the back of the class, matcha in hand. Taking a sip, you realize a stronger caffeine source might be necessary to power you through midterms.
Beach day
As a freshman with no car, you have no hope of making it to the beach. Over time, you become friends with this sophomore in your class and finally secure an invite to Pismo Beach. Packing up a surfboard you rented from PolyEscapes and a beach bag, you are ready to go, happy you don’t have to open Canvas for a full day.
Making a stop for Old West Cinnamon Rolls, you sit on the beach and watch the waves crash against the shore. You take a couple of photos for your Instagram, get an açai bowl for lunch, catch some waves and then head back to campus as the sun goes down.
You arrive at the dorm to find three assignments due at 11:59 p.m. and then promptly head to the UU to lock in, barely submitting them in time.
Finals week
After a night of minimal sleep and the sounds of pregaming and shouts travelling through the thin dorm walls, you wake up already wanting to fall asleep. Trudging down to Scout Coffee, you order a ham and cheese croissant, a matcha and an additional latte, needing to be double caffeinated for the full day of studying ahead.
After locking in at the UU for 5 minutes, you get distracted by the horde of high school tour groups gathering in front of Chumash Auditorium. After too many distractions and ten study spots later, you inevitably go back to the dorm, açai bowl in hand.
The ‘P’
You and your friends sit on top of the ‘P,’ having just finished your finals. Looking across campus, you think about how you survived your first quarter as a Mustang.
For more stories from “Sh*t we weren’t told, the Adulting Issue” check out the full edition.
