Future Sooners! It’s APRIL! Can you believe it?! I certainly cannot! I can’t believe that my freshman year is almost over. I decided last year about this time that I would attend OU, and I am so happy I did. It has been nothing short of amazing! Last year at this time I was excited for a lot of things… prom, the awards banquet, graduation, and then summer. I kept thinking about how as soon as summer was over, I’d be in Norman, Oklahoma, and I’d be a freshman! I thought I would share my Top Ten Favorite Things from freshman year!

10) There’s no place like home… Coming to OU has made me realize that there really is no place like home! I thought I would NEVER miss Stockton, Kansas. Well, I thought wrong! I really do miss home! I miss my family and my own bed, but I wouldn’t trade my life in Norman for anything! I value home much more now, and love going back. You know how excited you get when you know you’re going on a trip? It’s like that! Even though you are just going home, you get excited because you are going home to see mom and dad and siblings (and if you’re a Wiltfong, your entire family!). It’s a weird feeling that you will start to understand around Thanksgiving.

9) Campus Activities I was SO involved throughout my first year. I was a Sooner Scout, Boomer Blogger (Hey! You’re reading it right now!), OU Nightly volunteer, Campus Activities Council Winter Welcome Week Exec, Union Programming Board member, and a few other things. I am so glad that I got involved! I met so many amazing people and have so many memories! I experienced a lot and learned how to handle having a lot on my plate. I wouldn’t recommend joining all 423 clubs and organizations that we have on campus, but I’d give some of them a try!

8) Work, work, work, work, work… I have a job. Who would have thought that my job would make my Top Ten List of Things that I LOVE about OU? I didn’t, but honestly I absolutely love my job! I work for the OU Communications Center (When you get a call that goes “Hi, this is Jordann at the University of Oklahoma. Is ————- available? Hi —————-! I just wanted to call and tell you congratulations and that we would love to welcome you as a Sooner this fall”… that’s me.). It’s great, because I get to talk to future Sooners about why I love OU! Plus, my coworkers are awesome! We have way too much fun. One day we googled our Jersey Shore names. My boss is the Appointment. How appropriate?! We have a lot of fun and one of my coworkers, Brittany, and I have become great friends! It’s the best!

7) Of campus beautiful by day and night… You will hear these words ringing through the Stadium on Saturdays, but they are so true! Our campus is absolutely beautiful! And this might sound weird, but it is so compact. Everything is within walking distance. Plus, it’s just flat out gorgeous! The fountains, the flowers, the buildings are all beautiful! I love, love, love walking down the South Oval. It always puts a smile on my face!

6) FREE! When you’re in college, take advantage of the free stuff! For example, yesterday I got a free cupcake just because. No reason to it! Just take it! They are always handing out t-shirts, cupcakes, candy, food, flash drives, everything! Take it! It’s free! What do you have to lose?!

5) I have the best family in the world! So this doesn’t apply to everyone, and I am SO blessed to have them, but I have an OU family! My actual dad works with a guy that grew up with Erik and Lori, my “OU parents.” When my dad told his coworker that I was coming to OU, Mike said that he knew some people that lived in Norman. My dad corresponded with Erik and Lori all summer and one Tuesday night during the fall semester Lori called and invited me to dinner! Ever since then, every Tuesday night we have family dinner! They have adopted me and treat me like I’m one of their own kids! I am so incredibly lucky! I have a place to escape to when I’m missing home and I have an amazing family that loves me in Norman!

4) I may be from the country, but I’m a city girl at heart! From Norman to Oklahoma City city limits, it’s a 20 minute drive. I love being that close to the city! It’s great to take a Friday night and run to OKC to grab dinner with the girls at the Cheesecake Factory or some fun restaurant in the city! My friend Katy and I love to go to Pinkitzel to grab cupcakes and candy! It’s our thing 🙂 Plus, you OKC has lots of entertainment opportunities! I love going to the city with friends for Thunder games (if you buy early enough, you can get tickets for $10!), Redhawk games, to shop at Penn Square Mall, or just to go explore Bricktown! I love being right there!

3) Ooooooklahoma! (Norman to be exact!) I love Norman! It’s a city, with a small-town feeling. I love having Walmart, Target, and all of the stores to go grab groceries at, but downtown Norman and Campus Corner really give Norman a unique feel. I love all of the one-of-a-kind boutiques and shops around town! You can find things that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else! Plus, there are so many things to do in Norman. Great places to eat, fun museums, fun fairs and community events. It’s great!

2) BOOMER SOONER! I absolutely LOVE sports! (I’m kind of obsessed, too.) But there is NOTHING like football season at OU. Game day is the best! Getting ready with the girls, walking to the stadium, losing your voice because you’re cheering so loud… It’s so much fun! Oh wait, that’s not just football season! I bought season football and season basketball tickets, plus every other sporting event at OU is free for OU students. I rarely miss a game. The girls and I still get ready together for every game and we all go out to eat after! Game day at OU (for any sport) is amazing! Experience it at least once during your freshman year. I guarantee that you will love it!

1) My number one LOVE about OU… My friends! I have met so many amazing people! People that will be in my life for the rest of my life! They are my best friends, my partners in crime and my new family. I’ve met my friends through rush, living in the dorms, on campus, in classes, through campus organizations, at my job, in the mall, at the movies, everywhere! I love them all. I went home over Christmas break and texted, called, facebooked, tweeted, and skyped with my friends from OU all day, every day. I think that they should have come home with me because even though we were apart, it seemed like we were always together with as much as we talked! I felt awkward going to Walmart or the mall by myself because that just doesn’t happen at college! I always have someone with me! Always! Being at home during the day while my brother was at school and my parents were at work was so boring! I’m used to watching TV with my roommate or one of my friends or running to Orange Leaf with the girls! I’m always with people and I could not wait to get back to my new found home at OU to be back with my new family!

I promise you that you will find your new home and family when you come to OU like I did. My freshman year has been absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my life at OU will be like! I can’t wait to hear about your stories as a freshman! Any of you feel free to use your extra meal points to take me to the caf next year so you can share! 🙂 Have a great rest of your senior year! Can’t wait to see you here this fall! BOOMER!