Tips For Your First Year
- April 1, 2023
Housing, Roommates, Food...and more!
Special thanks to our Notre Dame interns, who created this content for you.
Asha LaBine
Chicago, IL
Class of 2023
Economics, Global Affairs, Digital Marketing
Alena Coleman
Evansville, IN
Class of 2022
English, Spanish, Education
First Year Experience
The most important thing about your first year is making friends. It is probably the scariest part but just trying to get to know people in your dorm. Introducing yourself to people is always a significant first step to make you feel more at home. And while these people that you meet at first might not be your forever friends, it’s an excellent way to get yourself introduced to the campus and, you know, feel more comfortable there.
There will be many activity fairs and mixers kind of ways to mingle with other students. These events though they might seem silly, or you might not want to do them, you must go to them. It’s okay to go by yourself; many people go by themselves, and they end up meeting great people. Another way to feel more at home and feel more comfortable is to get involved in extracurriculars or maybe recreational sports. To be part of a team is always an excellent opportunity to make more friends and get involved in campus life.
Remember:
- Everyone is in the same boat
- Friends
- Get to know people in your hall
- Introduce yourself to everyone in your first week
- Go to the silly orientation events
- It’s okay to go to events by yourself!
- Get involved on campus
- Sense of belonging/less homesick
- Extracurriculars, recreational sports
Housing
The first things you’ll encounter at school will be housing, where are you going to live. Each university is different, so we are just going to offer a broad overview of the different types of housing and accommodations that universities have. The primary ones are your residencies or your residences dormitories, aka your dorms. There are all types of different setups for dorms, so the most common, especially for first-year students, is a double.
Each university offers different types of accommodation for students
- Residences/Dormitories (dorms)
- Singles, doubles, quads, six-person
- Can be co-ed (more common) or single-sex
- Communal
- Honors Housing
- Special Interest Housing
- “Theme”: language, major, common interest
- Smaller than a regular dorm
- Off-campus housing
- You sign your own lease with an apartment/ house that is not affiliated with the university
- Personal liability, meal plan optional, personal costs
- Flexibility with roommates, more space
- Most universities require that first-year students stay on campus, very few do not
- On-campus apartments
- Like a regular apartment, but on campus!
- Often with a roommate, different bedrooms
Special Interest Community at Columbia
Inside a double at St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame
Off-campus housing at Yale
Honors Residences at Purdue University
Housing: Choosing What’s Right for You
In general, with housing, it’s like any part of your discernment for what sorts of universities you want to apply to. You need to do your research, and this is something a lot of people experience when they’re first researching their university. But again, you’re going to live there it’s. It’s something you need to consider, so look at the residential and housing pages for your desired university and do that kind of general internet search for YouTube, blogs other social media from current and former students that can help you see what it’s like.
Do your research!
- Look into Housing and Residential Life at your desired universities as a part of your research
- YouTube, Blogs, and other social media from current and former students at your desired university can show you the “inside” of dorm life
Stay within your budget
- For off-campus housing, many universities offer assistance if you receive financial aid.
- Food, furnishings, transportation, and utilities may not be included in the “ticket price” of off-campus housing
- On-campus: singles, larger accommodations, and on-campus apartments may cost more
Think about community
- Do you want to live only with students who speak a certain language? Do you want to in the campus community or the surrounding/city community? Do you want to live with people of the same gender identity? Do you want to meet anyone and everyone?
Roommates
In the first year at college, you will most likely be assigned some random roommate. That means a lot of different things. In some universities, you fill out a questionnaire where you say you like to wake up early or don’t like loud music, or like your space clean. Then universities try to match you based on that sort of compatibility. Another system of selection is blind, so you have no accurate control over the process. Other universities allow you to select a roommate. So, if you by chance know someone at the university you’re attending or who’s also attending with you, you may be able to set up that way. We encourage you, just like any anyone nowadays, to use Facebook group and WhatsApp to connect with potential roommates if you don’t want to be entirely random and your university allows you to declare or pick a roommate. We encourage you to go that route, and there are often other students looking for roommates.
Random roommates
- At many universities, you may be assigned a “random” roommate
- Varying degrees of randomness: questionnaires vs. totally blind
- If you know someone at the university you’re attending, you may be able to room with them
- Use Facebook Groups, GroupMe, and WhatsApp to connect with potential roommates
Expectations
- Some people meet their best friend! Most people do not, and that’s okay
- You are two (or more) different people living in a small space!
- Try to find something you have in common
- Roommate Agreement/Contract
- Don’t let conflict fester
- If a conflict arises: go to your RA (Resident Assistant)
- In extreme cases you may be able to move rooms midway through the year
- After your first year, you can choose your roommate!
Food
Dining Halls
- Per-meal vs Points/Cash
- Swipes vs Dining Dollars
- Names vary from school to school
- Know which one you’re putting your money on!
- Domer Dollars, Blue Bucks, Illini Cash…
- Meal Plans
- Light, Medium, Heavy, A la Carte, Unlimited...
Food Delivery Services
- Instacart, Shipt, Amazon, Walmart Grocery
Groceries
- Budget (often cheaper than meal plans)
- Bulk shopping
Lecture style class at University of Iowa
Seminar style class at Boston University
Classes
Very different from high school
- Make deadlines for yourself
- Try not to procrastinate
- Make study groups
Get organized!
- Notion/Excel
- Daily Planner
Lectures vs Seminars vs Labs
Get in good with the professor
- Participate in class
- GO TO Office Hours
- Ask about their research
Find your perfect study spot
Mental Health
It’s hard.
- Be prepared to be overwhelmed
- Campus Health/Counseling Centers
Make time for yourself
- Exercise
- Self care
Balance
- ‘work hard so you can play hard’
Culture Shock
- Your first year will most likely be the hardest
University Counseling Center at Florida State University