First weeks at college can make a huge impression. Getting used to being in an entirely new place and living in a new environment is a big transition, so it’s important to get to know your surroundings as best you can.
Going into college, I had heard a variety of first week stories, as many high school seniors have, and some of them terrified me. That being said, I think it’s definitely easier to go to a school where you’ve basically grown up (my mom is an alum). Although I knew and loved the campus and town, I didn’t know if I’d like being away from home and my friends. Most kids from my high school in Vermont went to the University of Vermont. They were close to home, and knew they’d always have someone whom they had grown up with there to help them if they needed anything. Although Skidmore isn’t far away from home, no one I knew went there, which is possibly one of the reasons I was so excited and scared at the same time.
At Skidmore, there is a pre-orientation for the students who want to come a few days early and meet some people before school actually starts, which ended up being a really great experience to meet people and see the school. (If you knew my mom, you would know that attending this program was non-negotiable.) A few weeks before pre-orientation started, we got out freshman year roommate assignments. At Skidmore, the majority of freshmen are in triples, but the rooms are still big enough to fit almost everything. My roommates and I began talking right away, discussing what we were going to bring and what we liked to do. I think being in a triple, as a freshman, is helpful in getting acclimated because, sometimes, it gives you two different perspectives and possibly two or more friend groups right off the bat.
Outside of our little room, we each had our freshman seminar. This is mandatory for freshmen at Skidmore, as it is at many other colleges and universities. Over the summer we were given the opportunity to choose which we thought would be the most interesting topic to study in our seminars for the first semester. The school then put us in (usually) our top choice, and we were off and running! Seminar was another great way to meet friends at the beginning of the year, especially because we were all freshmen and no one really knew anything yet. I’m a junior now, and two out of my three housemates were in my freshman seminar. One was also my freshman year roommate.
Overall, I think Skidmore is a pretty easy place to get to know people and really find yourself. I know how cliché this sounds, but you can honestly be anyone you want to be there. Everyone is so friendly and accepting, you shouldn’t have any problem fitting in and finding just the right friends!
Have an experience to tell us about? Hit the comments below to let us know.
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