Orientation week, Pioneer Passage, classes, Pioneer Carnival and the quarter system: all very specific things that apply to every DU student. But perhaps the biggest challenge about the new year is the transition from living at home with our parents to the semi-independence of dorm life–an experience every college student should have. Without it, not only are you missing out on the quintessential college experience, but you will lack the ability to live and constantly interact with all different kinds of people in life.
Many of us had our own rooms when we were growing up. We weren’t confined to a room as small as a dorm room that we also had to share with someone who was a complete stranger three weeks ago. We weren’t in a building filled with other people our age who run up and down the hallway. We weren’t eating in a cafeteria with a meal plan, we had some space for alone time and we probably knew our neighbors.
Having lived in a house with your family your entire life, which in many cases was a state or city that was not Colorado, it quickly becomes apparent what a large transition this is. Regardless of where you are from or what your high school was like, it will take some getting used to. The sense that there will be no privacy, that you are constantly surrounded by others and that you’re eating cafeteria food may seem daunting, but after three weeks at DU, it is obvious how many freshmen seem to love it.
A large part of that is because DU helps you adjust right off the bat to your new surroundings. The RAs are helpful and actually care, holding floor meetings the very first night to help everyone get to know each other and telling us everything we need to know about the dorms so we don’t have to go figure it out ourselves, they arrange bonding activities and much more. Then there are the professors, who dedicate the first class to getting to know us a bit and going over the syllabus detail by detail. This is also all after the week-long orientation where you are given the contact information for possibly every resource you will ever need at DU.
Now sure, many will sometimes still wish they could have home cooking, a private conversation, their own bathroom or just some alone time, but ultimately, the sacrifice is worth it. It is great living with peers–having friends nearby 24/7. Even the dorm rivalries about which building is the best adds to the fun of dorm life.
While we are not exactly close by to our actual families, it’s already as if there is a secondary family right here in the hallways. Any anxiety about college life quickly vanishes because of the people, not even just in the hallways, but in classes or club meetings or really any interaction with people on campus.
People truly take the smooth transition we had for granted; they think all colleges are like this, just because they all should be. The importance that freshman don’t feel like they are just completely abandoned and that they believe they can succeed is often overlooked. This is how creates the best on-campus community possible. The transition from high school to college couldn’t have been any smoother, and the people couldn’t have been better. The professors are supportive, the peers are friendly and there are an abundance of resources. DU is truly an incredible place to call home, and it is absolutely amazing to be a part of the pioneer nation.
