ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½

• Student organization involvement: , 
• Hobbies: Walking around campus, writing music, and being with friends
• Additional jobs: Likely starting a theatre internship in the fall semester!

• Study spot (on or off campus): 
• Place to relax on campus outside of my dorm room: Todd Union—either downstairs in the radio station with friends or upstairs in the lobby or the green room.
• Food on campus: The fried eggs served in Douglass Dining Center during morning meal times.
• Thing to do off campus: My favorite thing to do off campus is to visit the . I also recommend going to the , the , and the . My favorite restaurant is in the South Wedge neighborhood.
• Way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: My favorite way to meet new people is through the Deaf community. I've met so many wonderful people by going to Deaf events around Rochester and on campus or just starting up a conversation with someone I see signing.

My biggest worry was that I wouldn't find "my people." The advice I would give to my younger self is just to be yourself, because you will find friends that like you for who you are when you are your most authentic self.

I wish I knew my courses at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ would all be so interconnected. I wasn't expecting my Chinese religions, philosophy, linguistics, theatre, astronomy, and American Sign Language classes all to be related to each other.

Have a plan B (and plan C!) option. There are so many cool classes to take! If you spend the time coming up with backup options, even if classes fill up on registration day, you will still be taking courses you’re interested in.

I've been to 45 countries in total!

• Student organization involvement: , , ,
• Hobbies: Crocheting, watching terrible movies with friends, and playing board/card games
• Additional jobs: Game operator for the Goergen Athletic Center; teaching assistant for AME 193: Sound Design

• Study spot (on or off campus): I enjoy studying on the top floors of the stacks in because they provide a beautiful view of Eastman Quad while I work. However, when I want to be somewhere more open and brighter, I go to the third floor of .
• Place to relax on campus outside of my dorm room: When it's sunny, I thoroughly enjoy sitting out on Eastman Quad with a good book, watching people go by.
• Food on campus: Danforth Dining Center has the best food on campus, especially when it is mac and cheese week at the pasta bar. The line will be long, but I promise that the meal is worth the wait.
• Thing to do off campus: The is a must-see. Not only is it host to an impressive collection of analog cameras, but it also has weekly movie nights where they show retro films at the theater next to the museum. If you enjoy a relaxing stroll in nature, I highly recommend going to and walking to Lake Ontario because the views and wildlife are absolutely gorgeous.
• Way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: The best way to meet new people is by simply going to different events around campus. There is almost always an opportunity to mingle with the other attendees, which provides the perfect chance to strike up meaningful conversation.

Coming into college, I was incredibly nervous about making friends because I had been around the same people since preschool. However, my worries couldn't have been more unfounded, as I have cultivated some of the greatest and most meaningful friendships of my life on campus. If I could give first-year me some advice, I would tell her not to worry so much because almost everyone is in the same boat, looking for the people who will become their friends.

You don't have to be registered to a class to attend. (But make sure to check with the professor before showing up!) Within the first few weeks of the semester, you can try out a couple different courses to see which ones you want to keep attending.

Select two classes to go towards your major(s), one class to fulfill your writing requirement (for either fall or spring semester), and one class to explore something fun that you've never studied before. It is the perfect opportunity to either try out a potential cluster or discover a new passion.

Because I frequently listen to it while studying, I can hum the entire How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack from front to back.

• Student organization involvement: , , , Medallion Leadership Program
• Hobbies: Watching tv shows, reading, painting, playing Minecraft with friends
• Additional jobs: I work in the scene shop in the theatre department and as a Meridian (an on-campus tour guide for the Office of Admissions).

• Study spot (on or off campus): Eastman Quad when it's nice outside, otherwise either the in Rush Rhees Library or Bridge Lounge in Wilson Commons
• Place to relax on campus outside of my dorm room: iZone, Starbucks, or any picnic table outside!
• Food on campus: Quesadillas from Blue Cactus or Starbucks
• Thing to do off campus: I love to go on fun adventures with my friends to Trader Joe's, Target, the , or exploring a new restaurant or coffee shop! A couple restaurants I would recommend are in College Town,  in the East End, and in the South Wedge.
• Way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: My favorite way to meet new people is by attending events around campus that sound fun and interesting. There's always something exciting happening in the Rochester community!

Before I came to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, I was most nervous about meeting new people and finding my group on campus. I would tell my younger self to just put yourself out there, try new things, and really take advantage of all the fun events and opportunities there are during Welcome Week and throughout the year!

I wish I knew how many resources there are available for students in addition to your assigned advisor! I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do when I first came here, and finding all the resources on campus have helped me with my own academic path.

Have multiple saved schedules! You may not get the exact courses and times you want and that is okay, having a few different backup plans can really help relieve the stress and chaos of course registration day.

I learned Mandarin Chinese for 12 years!

• Student organization involvement: , Computer Interest Floor, Lipomi Research Group, (SADACA)
• Hobbies: Reading, string art, Minecraft, and going on walks
• Additional jobs: Attendant at Rocky's Sub Shop & Lounge

• Study spot (on or off campus): 
• Place to relax on campus outside of my dorm room: The couches on the third floor of Rettner Hall.
• Food on campus: Probably Rocky's subs (I'm definitely not biased!); my favorite part about is that I can customize every single aspect of the sub depending on what I feel like having for the meal.
• Thing to do off campus: I can't recommend the enough! It's right by River Campus and the more you follow it, the more interesting spots you find. A couple good Mediterranean places I like are in College Town and , as well as for coffee and tea.
• Way to meet new people on campus and in the Rochester community: Going outside! Just going on walks or saying hi to people around campus from time to time is definitely a fun thing to do to meet different people.

One of the biggest worries I had was transitioning from life and academics in Syria to Rochester (it's a 10,000-mile flight!). It was a big change for me, and I didn't know if I would be able to find community here in Rochester. One piece of advice that I found helpful was trying to find groups of people who share your interests or identities where you can do things together. It facilitates connection and helps integrate you into campus life as you meet more people through these groups.

The number of resources available to students! There's multiple departments and groups dedicated to helping students succeed in academics like the department advisors, the , and the Learning Center.

I can't stress having multiple saved schedules enough. When I initially registered for classes, I didn't get into a writing class and I didn't have any backups, so I ended up trying to make a new plan on the spot. I think that having a different plan/saved schedule would've helped reduce the stress of my first registration.

I've read the Lord of the Rings books at least three times!