56 People You Will Inevitably Run Into on the First Day Back From an Off-Term
Though the snow still on the ground may indicate otherwise, spring has officially arrived at Dartmouth. While we're still receiving Snapchats from friends bragging about the temperature at their schools farther south, there are several exciting things about the very beginning of spring term. Perhaps the most obvious of these is the mass influx of people back on campus after an off-term (or two). If you're back for the first time in months and have forgotten how to navigate the Collis pasta line or find your favorite study spot, never fear – one constant is the people you are bound to encounter as you re-familiarize yourself with the Dartmouth bubble. Welcome back – here come the joyful reunions and awkward eye contact.
1. The freshman floormate you haven’t seen since Homecoming
Did this person actually live on your floor? They may have moved to a different dorm in the spring, but you never really saw them anyway so you have no way of knowing. In fact, you probably forgot they even existed until just now.
2. The instructor from that PE class you signed up for the last term you were on that you almost never went to
Well, this is awkward.
3. Your upperclassman UGA
Who likely doesn’t want to deal with you but will feel obligated to interact with you.
4. Your new best friend you met in New York/Paris/Bora Bora
While they may be one of the few Dartmouth people you’ve seen recently, it’s still completely necessary to excitedly bear hug them in FoCo and start reminiscing about the best days of your lives (aka last term). If you were on a language program together, you may slip into another language with them, and that’s okay. Everyone else is just jealous.
5. A random hookup from freshman fall
You don’t ever want to see this person ever again, so it makes complete sense that you’re seeing them now.
6. Your best friend who you haven’t seen in MONTHS (who you must tackle immediately)
This one’s the most important. You’ve Skyped, Facebook chatted and flitzed each other but social media just isn’t the same as seeing his/her beautiful face in person.
7. Fifty other people who want to grab lunch with you
Eventually, you’ll have to accept that you simply don’t have time for them all. Time to start prioritizing your friends list.