Freshmen, transfer students begin their first semester at SU
While most Syracuse University students returned from Winter Break to familiar sights, others found a whole new experience.
Eighty new first-year students, several freshman transfers and a few freshmen who spent their first semester in SU’s Discover Florence program, all started their first day of classes on the Hill on Jan. 14.
“It’s a small population, but it’s actually growing,” said Carrie Grogan Abbott, director of the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs. “Every year we have a few more first-year students who start mid-year.”
A majority of the new students arrived on campus the Friday before classes began, she said. The university did a thorough, yet slightly smaller orientation process compared to the traditional orientation held in August.
The orientation program is called Syracuse Winter Welcome, Abbott said. It focuses on orienting students to both the campus and their classmates. The goal is to get the students ready for their first day of classes, she said.
Abbott noted that while coming in mid-year is a challenge for many, Syracuse Winter Welcome has its upsides.
“The winter orientation is nice because we actually get to know a lot of the students more one-on-one,” Abbott said. “Our staff and our orientation leaders are able to have extended conversations with students.”
The university also hosted a New Student Resource Fair in the Schine Student Center on Wednesday to help new students find activities and get involved, she said.
Although the process is stressful for some, others have found the transition smooth. Dylan Wolter, a freshman transfer from Westchester Community College in New York was positive about his first week.
“The transition has been awesome,” said Wolter, who is currently undecided in the College of Arts and Sciences. “I’ve met some really nice people. My classes seem interesting. I’m still getting accustomed to a lot of things, but I’m definitely enjoying myself.”
A majority of freshmen transfers live in SkyHall. Abbott said the reason is so they can share common experiences.
“We are intentionally placing incoming transfer students into SkyHall,” Abbott said. “The idea being that kids coming from a similar transfer experience will be able to build community living in the same space.”
This was not the case for Wolter, who was placed into Boland Hall, a dorm that primarily houses freshmen. Wolter said he has enjoyed meeting people on and off his floor.
He said it took him only until his first weekend to have an experience he would never forget.
“After (the men’s basketball team) beat Louisville on Saturday, I saw Michael Carter-Williams at a party,” Wolter said. “I gave him a high five and told him he was awesome. Even though he probably already knew it.”
