Pranav Mandavia

Staff Writer

Welcome to USF new Dons! Congrats on making it to your first day of freshman year. Once you move into your dorm, meet your roommate(s), and experience the hype of new student orientation, you’ll be wondering, now what?! As new students nationwide start a new adventure in their lives, the pressure’s on to make the most out of college, especially freshman year. So, how will you make the most out of your first year at USF?

Moving to San Francisco from New Jersey, I definitely was very nervous and anxious about my first year. Looking back, I now know that I definitely could have done things a little differently to make the most out of my first year, like getting involved with student organizations such as the Campus Activities Board my first semester instead of in my sophomore year. If I could give one piece of advice to new students, I would say to get involved as much as you can the first day. Go to all orientation activities, and try to meet as many people as you can.

To help give some insight into freshman year and what to expect, we’ve asked some experienced students here at USF to reminisce on their time as freshmen and give some advice on what to definitely do your first year and what they would do differently their first year if they had the chance.

Sarah White,

Senior, psychology major:

“Be more involved. My freshmen year, I lived in Fromm and I felt really alienated. I’m really shy so I didn’t really reach out, which is why I think I don’t have many friends now and I’m a senior. Just get more involved. Everyone is in the same boat as you, so don’t be afraid to reach out and make new friends. Enjoy all the clubs you can.”

Christina Seruge,

Junior, international studies major, Latin American minor:

“I would definitely spend more time socializing with people instead of studying all the time. You get to make more friends. I would join more clubs right away so you have seniority by the time you’re a junior. Get to know the people in financial aid and CASA because they will be the ones to help you when you register for classes.”

Kevin Bachar,

Junior, nursing major:

“Taking advantage of office hours and your professors as a resource are the biggest things I would go back and change. You get so caught up wanting to do everything  that you never really sit back and say ‘oh hey, my professor can be the greatest resource I have.’ Because now, my professors from my sophomore and junior year, I have that kind of relationship with.”

Caleb Banks,

Senior, psychology major:

“I wanted to be a lot more active. There were some things I really wanted to do in terms of helping and changing the school, or pursuing my own interests that I decided to step back from and not really take advantage of full-heartedly. I didn’t know much as a freshman and I was too naive. If I could do freshmen year all over again, I would be more ambitious and take advantage of the things I wanted to get done for myself and for the school.”