By Gillian Katz
Whether heading off to the college of your dreams or number 13 on your list of 12, chances are you’ve joined the pre-freshman group on Facebook. Making the effort to meet new classmates and get familiar with the school is awesome, but monitoring your behavior on these pages is VERY important! There is always that one student in the group who consistently posts every day, who asks far too personal questions and who simply makes a fool of themselves in seemingly every way possible. This is someone who everyone will recognize on the first day of classes for their over-active Facebook persona. You do not want to be that person, especially because their posts usually end up on “Accepted! 2017,” a blog created specifically to expose embarrassing posts from pre-freshman groups. You’ve been warned!
DO feel out the vibe of the school before posting: Every school is different and therefore, the students are going to be different. Chances are, this is why you chose this school or were interested in the first place! Be sure to feel out the vibe of the group especially if you are using it to help make your decision.
DON’T post anything too personal: If it seems like most of the questions are about the school itself, technical difficulties, or whether or not to attend, it may not be appropriate to post deep personal details on the page. Sometimes, there may not be many posts in the group already, so wait it out. See what happens before jumping in with your own posts.
DO watch how many people use the group: Stay quiet unless it seems that everyone is posting, not just a select few who feel the need to over-share. It can be potentially embarrassing for you to have posted personal information that now everyone knows, meaning it is no longer private!
DON’T post too often!: You do not want to become “that girl.” Not only will your classmates get annoyed by your incessant posting, but you WILL be recognized at orientation and in class (remember Facebook has pictures, too!).
DO be honest during the roommate search: Depending on the school, these groups are sometimes used for finding potential roommates. If this seems to be the trend, go for it! Make sure you are honest in your description and that you speak positively and enthusiastically about finding a great roommate.
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