5 Things I Wish I Knew as a First-Year Student

Making the transition from high school to college and being away from home can be daunting when you are a first-year student. Rest assured: Syracuse University is your second home and everyone on campus wants to help you s쳮d.

To start, we have put together advice from upperclass students on how to manage your first year here at Syracuse. We asked them to share advice on what they wish they had known as a first-year student. Here’s what they said:

Jordan Bullock ’24 | Television, Radio and Film, Newhouse School

I wish I had known to take advantage of every aspect of my dreams when I was a first-year student. If you’re into magazines, apply to be a part of a campus magazine. If you like to dance, find you some people to dance with. Any tiny aspect of your interests, explore it and engage in it. There is so much to access at Syracuse University, and I wish I had known to take advantage of that access in my first year.

Theodore (Teddy) Brendel ’26 | Musical Theater, College of Visual and Performing Arts

As a first-year student, I wish I knew the importance of putting yourself out there. Although I made a lot of new friends during my first year, I never thought about how every other first-year student is trying to meet as many new people as possible, and how normal it is to just strike up conversation with other students.

Natalia I. Cancel-Quintana ’26 | Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences

As a first-year student, I wish I knew that it’s normal to take time adjusting to a new environment and it’s okay to go at your own pace. Finding the perfect balance for you will be crucial to your long-term success.

Katherine Keane ’25 | Policy Studies, Newhouse and Maxwell School

I wish I knew how much getting involved can make the transition to college easier. My first semester here I joined a bunch of clubs on campus, and not only did it give me something to look forward to after classes, but it gave me a supportive group of friends that I am still close to today.

Mary Kennelly ’24 | Communications Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts

I wish I had known that it is best to be your authentic self when meeting new people, and to not be afraid to do so. I had the tendency to self-isolate because I was too nervous to reach out to people, but biting the bullet and making yourself uncomfortable is really what makes you those lifelong connections.

In addition to the advice from the upperclass students, the following is a list of on campus resources that may be useful to you during your time at Syracuse:

• Barnes Center at The Arch
• Center for International Services
• Cuse Activities
• Department of Public Safety
• Disability Cultural Center
• Fraternity and Sorority Affairs
• Hendricks Chapel
• LGBTQ Resource Center
• Multicultural Affairs
• New Student Programs
• Office of Diversity and Inclusion
• Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services
• Sexual and Relationship Violence Response (SRVR) Team
• Student Engagement
• Student Outreach and Support
• Student Living
• Syracuse University Libraries
• Title IX Case Management