I’m surprised at how much you can grow up in just a short time. I’m much more responsible and handle much more of my own life now than just four months ago. I’ve got a job on campus and I even do my own laundry.

BIG CHANGES?

Well, sure. I went to an all-girl high school, so just having boys around was a big adjustment.

Besides that, Purchase is so diverse and different than what I was used to; it’s a lot more like a big university where you run into all kinds of perspectives and religious viewpoints. At home, I was used to everyone being urban and pretty much the same—now one of my best friends is Portuguese. Another comes from a farm upstate and has six horses.

Another big surprise was how sporty Purchase is. Most people don’t think of the College as a sports-minded school, but I’ve met lot of people here through sports.

BEST BETS?

I really like the Neuberger Museum of Art on campus. We had to go there for an assignment in my freshman seminar, and it was great. I also like all the concerts in the Performing Arts Center and the Music Conservatory. I feel I’ve become so much more musically aware, especially about jazz, since I’ve been here. And, of course, one of my roommates is a Dance major.

The classes have been great, too. My writing professor was so smart and well read and well traveled that you just never got bored. My favorite class was Intro to Women’s Studies. The professor ran it like a big debate with everybody expressing their viewpoints. It was just so interactive and down-to-earth.

GET ORIENTED

I went through Summer Orientation and our Orientation leader was really cool. We split up into small groups for activities and games. That’s where I met some of my closest friends. We kept in touch on-line until we got to campus, and some of them live right down the hall in my dorm.

Another great thing is my faculty advisor. He’s so helpful and always available. During the semester, he’d check up to see how I was doing, and he’s trying to help me decide what I might want to major in. He just seems so interested in me as an individual and in validating me as a person.

THE LIFE

I have a suite in the Crossroads with six roommates, but there’s never been any problem. At least, no one’s been late to class or anything so far. And, I’m good friends with all of my roommates.

I know that a lot of people like to complain about college food, but I actually like the food here (don’t tell my Mom!). You see some of the same things over and over again, but luckily they’re things I like. In fact, I wish I could go to the Hub right now.

Most of the social life at Purchase happens at parties in the dorms or events on campus or just hanging out with friends. It’s important to take advantage of the things Purchase has to offer. I’m interested in taking a yoga class they give on campus, and next year, I think I’ll try out for the track team. I made a lot of friends this Fall playing intramural volleyball.

TIPS?

I’d say “get involved from the beginning.” It’s important to have friends and to do things on campus. Don’t just sit around in your room. And, be sure to take advantage of the Counseling Center if you need help. They want you to succeed.

College isn’t really set up to make life hard for you as long as you do the work. I went to a high school that was really like a prep school, but even that didn’t make the work here easy—it’s doable, but not easy. You’ve got to go to class and keep up. I know one guy who didn’t, and it’s like his parents are just ending up with a $7,000 party bill.