If I could give one piece of advice to the first-years at UNC, it would be to simply keep your door open.
Literally, keep your dorm room door open. It is the easiest way to get to know the people who live in your hall because it invites them to come inside and potentially begin a friendship. It lets your hallmates know that you want to meet them and gives off a welcoming and inviting impression.
My first year, my roommate and I kept our door open as soon as we moved in and left it that way all year long. When we were setting up our room, it was open. When we were hanging out, it was open. When we were doing homework, it was open. This enabled us to meet everyone on our side of the hall at anytime. Not even an hour after we moved in, a few of our hallmates wandered into our room, introduced themselves and stayed with us for the rest of the afternoon. Keeping our door open became the norm for our entire floor.
I am a junior now, and the friends I made on the seventh floor of Granville are still my closest friends at UNC. It is such a fun and special thing to be friends with those who live around you because you see them every single day. This proximity encourages closeness; I encourage you to take advantage of it and make an effort to get to know the people who live right next door. It is the perfect opportunity to develop genuine and authentic friendships, which is what college is all about.
This does not just apply to the people on your floor. The attitude of keeping your door open is something that can relate to everyday life, whether you are a first-year or a graduate student. It correlates with being open to new experiences, the good and the bad. Everything is a learning opportunity — participating in new activities or expanding your social circle allows for personal growth. The best way to do that is to embrace what or who you do not know.
Being open to doing things outside of your comfort zone will make you a better person by helping you realize that your capabilities stretch far beyond what you previously thought you could accomplish. Welcoming what scares you, intimidates you or inspires you is a challenge, but it is a rewarding one since it comes with so much personal development. You will never know what you can accomplish if you never take the risk of doing something where the outcome is unknown. Leaving the door open to different experiences and being excited about what can come from every opportunity or encounter will keep your life interesting and take you places you never expected to go.
As this academic year begins, be open to the new challenges and opportunities it may present. Meet the people on your floor, say hello to the person you sit next to in class, initiate a conversation with someone also in line for the dining hall. You never know where these small interactions could lead — these people could end up becoming some of your best friends. Embrace what a gift UNC is and all the people who make it so special. Take advantage of everything it has to offer. Keep your door open and be curious to see what comes knocking.
