As you get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of your first year on the Farm, don’t forget to take time out of your hectic schedule of new friends, exams and random dance floor hookups to indulge in some of Stanford’s most cherished freshman year traditions. From the conventional to the wacky, we’ve compiled a bucket list of some of the most important events of your freshman year.
1. Complete the Full Moon on the Quad tic-tac-toe board. Yes, kissing a bunch of strangers in what amounts to a gigantic make-out orgy sounds pretty weird, not to mention unhygienic, but it’s a hallowed Stanford tradition. Make the most out of it.
2. Midnight fountain hop with your freshman dorm. It will likely be cold and uncomfortable, but the dorm bonding is irrevocable. You’ll become instant friends in a series of chlorinated, but still disgusting, pools of water.
3. Hook up in the stacks at Green. Nothing says young love like making out between shelves of dusty books.
4. Roll out to the home football games in full body paint. You’ll look silly, but all the cool kids do it. Plus, if you’re close enough to the cameras, you might get featured on TV.
5. Commit dormcest on Ski Trip. What happens on Ski Trip, stays on Ski Trip. Unless you get frostbite, but that’s impossible to contract when you’re snuggling up next to your neighbor from down the hall.
6. Wear a chicken costume to Bay to Breakers. Bay to Breakers, San Francisco’s most beloved annual marathon, is a cesspool for ridiculous costumes, drunkenness and general debauchery. And there’s nothing more ridiculous than a chicken costume.
7. Indulge in mango lassi during Sunday dinner at FloMo. Sunday night Indian food is just as integral to the Stanford experience as Big Game. Well, maybe not, but it’s just as delicious.
8. Get dolled up for 680’s annual Exotic Party. Remember to get your ticket well in advance in White Plaza. Clothing optional.
9. Hike the Dish during Spring Quarter. Sprawling wildlife, Silicon Valley scions getting in their daily run and sunsets to die for. What’s not to love?
10. Take an exercise class at the Arrillaga gym. Ward off the freshman 15 with a bi-weekly athletics class. From Abs and Glutes to Zumba, you’ll be able to maintain your summer bikini bod year-round.