Clemson vs. NC State.....GO PACK!

So last weekend I attend the NC State vs. Clemson football game with the College of Textiles, but before that we did something very interesting. We went and toured Milliken which is one of the largest textile manufacturers in the world. The people there were incredibly nice and the corporate office looked like something out of a movie. A fellow trip-mate of mine called it the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory of textiles. They fed us lunch and then we toured the product gallery which included things like Underarmor and Garnier Fructis bottles. Milliken has a part in a large number of products that we use in our everyday life. They say that every day you touch at least 10 things that Milliken took part in creating. After we toured the corporate office, we went to the Hillcrest plant which creates the carpet like material on the back of vehicle seats. This was interesting to see because we saw the final product in the product gallery and the process at the Hillcrest plant. After touring through the two sectors of Milliken, we went out in downtown Greenville. This was really fun because the city caters to young-adults in the technology industry. There a bunch cool shops and restaurants and even Edwin McCain was performing. Anyways, the next day we went to the Clemson game and it was a blast. We got to tailgate with the Clemson textiles students and had some awesome BBQ. I came back a little sunburn, but it was well worth the pain.

The First Day of Class

Of course my the first day of class had to be a Wednesday, which happens to be my busiest. I was bit intimidated by the schedule I had that day. I began by finding my classes on a NCSU map. After that I set out on my journey all the way to Nelson Hall. I had a weird feeling in my stomach that I was going to not be able to find it, but I kept on trucking. I recommend finding your classes before the first day. Anyways, I ended up finding the Hall pretty easily. The first day was mostly handing out the syllabus and informational type things. College is very different from high school in that everything is based off of a syllabus. After that class, I rushed over to Harrelson which you can't miss. It is a huge cirucular building in the middle of campus. I have to admit the classroom numbering system can get a bit confusing. There is an inside and an outside to the circle. My teacher was very friendly, so that helped ease the stress. I then went to my last class on main campus in Winston. It was quiet a far walk especially because I was some what dumb to where I was going. I found the class and was pleased to see it was a small class of only freshmen. That is what Q classes are at NC State. Small classes of Freshmen with great teachers. Next, I had to take a bus to Centennial Campus. This was stressful at first because you had to get the timing just right. Finally, I ended my day with a dance meeting and a full night of sleep.

Getting Adjusted

Well as you all know the first few days are the hardest. I found this time bittersweet because many of my friends from high school went to different colleges. I was sad that I would not see them as often, but happy that I would have the opportunity to make new friends. NC State does a wonderful job of planning fun activities that got me involved. I was a surprised by the fact that the activities were incredibly fun. There was one called RecFest where you could play tons of inflatable games, get balloon animals, or even get a caricature drawn. Also, I enjoyed the Welcome Back Pack Dinner. I won a folding chair that my roommate and I frequently use in our room. I also won a water bottle for doing push-ups. Another exciting thing is that every where you turn there is free Vitamin Water. I have never seen so much Vitamin Water in my life! There is also an activity that the College of Textiles does on its own. This gave me an opportunity to meet fellow Textile majors. There was also free snacks and chances to win door prizes. I was grateful that NC State planned fun activities where I could meet new people. It made the first days at college much easier.

Packing up

My journey to NC State began with my overly organized lists. Between all ten of them, I still did not manage to remember everything that I needed. Sure I remembered the obvious things like a toothbrush, my laptop, and school supplies, but the last thing I thought I would need was dust buster. Disregarding all the stress of packing, leaving home was not that bad. Living a mere 15 minutes from home, I am sure probably aided in the smooth process. I gathered my troops and we headed to the treacherous move in day. Yes, you will get sweaty and you will have a back-ache the next day so be prepared. I do recommend moving in at a different time than your roommate. This allowed us to sprawl all of our stuff on the floor without getting in each other's way. Anyways, after I made 13 trips back and forth to the car I began to organize my room. As you already know I am incredibly particular about where my things go so this was a long process for me. It probably would be much quicker for the average person. I finally got situated and went out to dinner with my family to relieve all the stress of the day. I spent the first night in my room and was happy move in day was over.