What is the biggest issue confronting incoming
students?
“Adjusting to dorm life is hard to do as a freshman just
because it’s very different from home. I was in a triple and
the small living space is hard to get used to at first ““
there isn’t much room to move around or have your own
personal space. Having to cope with new roommates and the people
living around you is a challenge, too. Make sure you open the lines
of communication with your roommates and other people on your
floor; it’s always helpful to be social.” -Deborah Liu,
Fourth-year, Psychobiology
“I came here as a transfer and the hardest thing to adjust
to at first was overcrowding. If you come from a small area, like I
did, everything seems so compact and dense here you need to know
your way around. Before coming to the university, definitely visit
campus and get familiar with your surroundings.” -Nima
Hajibai, Fourth-year, MING Engineer
“The biggest problem is actually that there is a lot of
red tape in getting what you want done. The university is really
good at making you feel like a number and not a valuable part of
the university. As a freshman, you should try to make use of all
the resources available. Amazing professors, counselors and
programs are available if you take the time to seek them out. Get
involved in the system and use it to your advantage.”
-Brendan Raher, Class of 2002
“Freedom of speech can be a big issue, especially when it
is taken so far to the extreme it becomes disturbing and negative.
High school was a very sheltered place and it is a shock to come on
to campus and see a lot of negativity. They won’t be able to
change all of it, but the freshmen coming in should at least be
ready for that.” -Victoria Rapoport, Second-year, Political
Science
“Taking enough units and getting the classes you want
under the new Minimum Progress Requirement regulations can be
challenging, especially if you don’t have priority
enrollment. Freshmen need to take enrollment more seriously, plan
ahead, and take necessary classes as soon as they can, because
it’s going to lead to trouble if they don’t. Minimum
Progress is a good thing to keep students on track, but people
shouldn’t necessarily be kicked out for not meeting the
requirements.” -Vinay Swamnathan, Second-year, Electrical
engineering
“The biggest problem is actually that there is a lot of
red tape in getting what you want done. The university is really
good at making you feel like a number and not a valuable part of
the university. As a freshman, you should try to make use of all
the resources available. Amazing professors, counselors and
programs are available if you take the time to seek them out. Get
involved in the system and use it to your advantage.” -Sarah
Farzan, Class of 2002