Welcome to Tech! Our beloved Institute is unlike any other, and you have much to learn (and little time to learn it) regarding the traditions and culture of this school. Trying to explain how to be a good Techie in a few hundred words is like trying to teach English in one sentence. Freshmen, you will get the hang of it, but to begin here are a couple of tips to point you in the right direction.
First and most importantly – go to class, do your homework, study hard, and get good grades. Even acceptable grades will work – Cs get degrees! Being a Techie is not fun if you aren’t allowed to go to school anymore because you thought playing video games all night before a test was a good idea.
Now to the more fun parts of being a Techie! The most important tradition our school has to offer is the one and only Ramblin’ Reck from Georgia Tech. This 1930 Ford Model A sport coupe is our student body mascot and the most treasured tradition on campus. The car first arrived on campus thanks to Dean Dull, and has led the team onto the field for every home game since 1961. The most important tradition for you, as a freshman, is to under absolutely no circumstances ever touch the Ramblin’ Reck. If you do, you will be cursed with bad luck and you will bear the burden of causing the football team to lose to U[sic]GA this fall.
In addition to not being allowed to touch the Reck until your second year, you need to wear your RAT Cap. “RAT” stands for Recently Acquired Techie, and as a RAT you are required to wear your RAT Caps whenever you are outside. There are other rules, which can be found in your T-Book (both of these are handed out at Convocation). Warning! Not wearing your RAT Cap is a perfectly good excuse for an upperclassmen to give you a nice T-shaped haircut. Proceed at your own risk.
I’m running out of space, so consider this the lightning round. This list is by no means complete, but here are things you need to do while you are here in order to be a good Techie: Read your T-Book from cover to cover. Learn the fight songs and the alma mater. Go to T-Night. Go to every home football game. Road trip to others. Visit Sideways’ grave. Eat at Juniors. Pass enough of your classes, hopefully all of them. Create a dastardly plan to steal the T from Tech Tower. Execute this plan, fail miserably, then come back to school 2 semesters later after being kicked out for a year. Tailgate on gameday. Ask the statue of Dean Griffin for help on a test. Leave your dorm room. Spend your time in someone else’s dorm room (ahem). Join a club. High five Buzz at some point. Participate in Homecoming events (especially Freshman Cake Race!).
Yell, “To HELL with Georgia!” every chance you get. Make it to your second year. Learn everything that you can from this school. Finally, get out. Yes, you are about to work harder than you ever though you would. However, you are also about to have more fun than you have ever had, so get out there and enjoy it!