The real lucky freshman is the one who realizes, by October of their first semester, that the upperclassmen are just scared kids in older bodies, and that the only rule that matters is the one you set for yourself.

So here is my advice to you, Class of 2028:

In that version, the phrase means: You are safe. You are welcome. The rules here are kindness, curiosity, and common sense. You are lucky because you get to start over.

This is the cycle of abuse. It is the "fucking" in the phrase—the aggression that is disguised as celebration.

In the wild, the young and the weak are eaten first. In college, the freshman is expected to provide the alcohol, drive the car, take the blame, and laugh about it. The phrase "lucky fucking freshman" is ironic. You aren’t lucky because you’re respected. You’re lucky because you are allowed to be there at all .

Stay safe out there, freshmen. The real luck is going home whole. Jason M. Stanton is a former RA and current writer on youth culture and institutional trauma.

To the alumni who still chant "College rules, lucky fucking freshman" at homecoming, this new generation is soft. They are unlucky. They are missing out on the "authentic" college experience—the one that involved blackouts and regret.