16 Tips (Part 2) for Making the Most of Tulane

We're back! Missed part one? Read it here. Let's get right back into it!

6) Volunteer at festivals to go for free. You probably already know that here in the New Orleans area, we have more festivals than we do days of the school year. And one of the biggest secrets of them all? You can go for free if you volunteer at them. Many Tulane students will volunteer at the Crawfish Monica tent at Jazz Fest and after a few hours of work, you get the rest of the day to enjoy the shows. Same goes for Voodoo Fest, Hogs for the Cause, New Orleans Food and Wine experience, Zoo to Do, etc. In college, I volunteered to sell raffle tickets for a few hours at Zoo to Do, the big fundraiser/festival across the street at the Audubon Zoo, and then spent the rest of the night eating free food from 100 of the best restaurateurs around the city. For a poor college kid, this was a dream come true. Plus, resume booster!

7) Explore new neighborhoods. Uptown is awesome and home to so many great shops, restaurants and things to do. But, as you grow up at Tulane, pop that Uptown bubble and get out and explore. One of the best things about New Orleans is that it truly is a city of neighborhoods, each with their own unique and distinct characteristics. I blog about NOLA neighborhoods all the time; there is so much to see and do in this town! Go check out the Bywater and head to Oxalis, Booty's Street Food, Crescent Park, Pizza Delicious and the St. Roch Market. Head down to the CBD and go to Capdeville, Wednesdays at the Square, Peche, Cellar Door and the Little Gem Saloon. Get to the heart of it all in Mid City and check out Bayou Boogaloo, New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), the Fair Grounds Race Course, and Parkway Bakery. You get the idea.

8) Get interested in local current events. There are few things more exciting than Louisiana politics. If you need any evidence of this, just check out any news article about our upcoming election for governor. Louisiana is your home now, at least temporarily. So take a bit of time to find out what is going on in your city and state. The neat thing about New Orleans is that it's big enough that a lot goes on, but small enough that you can easily have your voice heard. I was able to speak to the City Council a few months ago in support of bringing Uber to NOLA. Your Tulane education and voice carry a good deal of weight in this town, so find out what the issues are and educate yourself on local issues you are passionate about. The best place to start is by simply liking pages on Facebook: NOLA.com, WWLTV, the Advocate, and even stuff like EaterNOLA and CurbedNOLA. Does this stuff really interest you? Sign up for Big Easy Politics at Tulane. Basically, just care. A little. You'll be glad you did.

9) Grow Up. Kind of. Okay, bear with me on this one. The growth and development you'll see in yourself between freshman and senior year will be remarkable. Embrace this and take note of the things that now interest you but didn't used to, and vice versa. That said, don't grow up too much to where you are too cool for school. It's okay to eat at Bruff from time to time when you are a senior, and in fact, it's pretty fun to stroll down that memory lane. It's also cool to do things like Outreach Tulane every year; it's not just for freshmen and CACTUS leaders. Help be a rallier in your class. Donate to your class challenge. Visit the alumni house. You're technically considered a Tulane alum after attending Tulane for one semester, so take advantage! There are so many neat things that this school will offer you as you grow up here. I was glad I did and it led to me being reunion chairman for my ten-year reunion, which just went down last weekend at Tulane. And if I may brag a little, we had the largest reunion party that Tulane has ever seen. Needless to say, I was glad I grew up at Tulane... just not too fast.

10) Be engaged on campus. This one kind of goes with the tip above, but on a more micro scale. When I say engaged on campus, I don't mean join a bunch of clubs (but that would be great, too). What I mean here is literally engage with campus. When you are walking from one class to another, don't wear headphones. You'd be amazed at how much you miss when you plug in and disengage: friends calling your name, someone protesting something, someone yelling about free food, etc. When you are on campus, smile. Look people in the eye as you pass. It's amazing how much this can affect your mood, and the mood of those around you. Want to take it a step further? When you see that prospective student on campus (they are pretty obvious, aren't they?) ask them if they need directions anywhere or have questions about Tulane. These little things, they go a long way, both for you and for those around you. Get out of your internal zone and get engaged!

Part 3 of this blog can be found here.