Soon, you will embark on a journey of a lifetime. The college experience some will say. It’s a new adventure full of people to meet and places to go.
You know who else walked into a completely unknown world? The Boy Who Lived: Harry Potter himself.
Your journey will start like Harry’s, with a ride in a vehicle through the hills and valleys of Southeast Ohio. You will round a corner and suddenly the charm on the school with lift and the monstrous institution will welcome and excite you.
Harry, too, stepped onto brick roads. The first part of the wizarding world Harry saw was Diagon Alley. The only difference is he had to fight Voldemort every year before he went back to the Dursleys for the summer. And let’s face it, you might have to battle your own Voldemorts. They might be RAs who come knocking on your door late at night to tell you to turn your music down or soul-crushing professors who make attendance mandatory.
Court Street will beckon you to its gates like Hogsmeade. With its many restaurants, clothing stores and other places you can spend your galleons, you will be tempted to go there every day and never use your swipe into the Great Hall. Don’t do that. Not only will your parents send you howlers, you will be broke.
When you move into your dorm, RAs, which are essentially prefects, will greet you with smiles and lead you to your room. If you’re lucky, your roommate will be like Ron Weasley. You will be best buds and fight evil together. If you’re not as fortunate, you might end up with a Draco Malfoy as a roommate. Unless you like Draco, then there might be hope after all.
Then comes the first day of classes. You won’t know where you’re going and might end up in the wrong lecture hall. It happens to the best of us. But, just like the hallways of Hogwarts, the streets of Athens are narrow. It is not going to be good for anyone if you run to every class because you think you’re late. If you think you’re late, chances are you’re not.
It will be established quickly what type of student you will be. Gryffindors are the class clowns. They succeed in their classes, but not without some jokes. Hufflepuffs sit in the back of the classroom and offer philosophical insight if they show up for class. Ravenclaws are there to raise their hand and ask or answer questions. Slytherins are there to raise their GPA by any means possible. Just like Harry, you can control what type of student you are. You just have to ask the Sorting Hat.
Your first day at OU will be filled with wonder and amazement. You will look up at all of the old buildings and think about the history of the university. And, overall, it will be a magical experience.
Georgia Davis is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are you looking forward to most on your first day at OU. Tell Georgia by tweeting her at @georgiadee35.
