Moving off to college for the first time can be scary — and what’s even scarier is the gratuitous amount of awkward, cringe-worthy icebreakers freshmen are subjected to in order to bond with their fellow classmates. Since one of the first sets of new friends you’ll meet on campus is your zee group, Princeton’s RCAs have teamed up to brainstorm some icebreakers that will help you get close to the new friends on your hall without the uncomfortable boredom and cheesiness.
Karaoke
Nothing loosens people up quite like singing poorly in front of strangers. Pick your favorite songs and jam out!
Check each other for lice
This one is a great bonding experience and it fosters campus safety. You’ll make friends fast as you comb through each other’s hair checking for tiny little parasites.
Give each other make-overs
Help your new pals out with their style. This is a great way to start the new school year right by helping one another bring their A-game in the fashion department. Try coating their heads in mayonnaise and leaving it in a shower cap overnight to really pamper them! Or, if you don’t have mayonnaise, a nice dimethicone treatment applied to the scalp and combed through hair thoroughly can really hit the spot.
Play truth or dare
An oldie but goodie, truth or dare is a party classic for a reason. Giving your new friends fun dares can be a great way to bond and build trust, and whenever someone picks truth, it can be a great opportunity to ask them about their medical history, like if they’ve ever had lice before.
Trust falls
One of the best ways to build strong friendships is to get out of your comfort zone and do a few trust falls! When they’re in your arms, be sure to check their part for any sign of miniscule, brown insects that resemble tiny parasitic sesame seeds. Don’t be shy–really get in there and make sure you aren’t mistaking dandruff for lice!
Check for lice again
You really can’t be too thorough when it comes to lice prevention. Honestly, check your new friends twice, three times if you need to. The last thing we need on this campus is a lice outbreak.
Play charades
Everybody likes charades!
Just stay in your room
There’s a lot to be said for having a quiet night alone in your dorm using your own, personal pillowcase (that you don’t share with anyone else) and not being exposed to any parasites any of your zee group might happen to have. As the old RCA adage goes, “Socialization leads to infestation.”
— AC ’21
