Listen to a reading of the Things I Learned as a ‘Freshmore’ blog

The class of 2024 certainly did not have a normal freshman year experience. After our senior year of high school got ruined by the original COVID breakout, we were forced into online school for our first year. Due to this, campus was a completely different place, making this year our first “real” year of school at the University of Rhode Island. There are a lot of things that I didn’t realize about URI after my first year that had me really confused and shocked when I came back in fall ‘21. Today, I’m going to be counting them down.

1. Hope/Mainfare Has a Lot of Options 

For those of you who don’t know, during the 2020-21 school year, Hope/Mainfare dining hall’s only option was Astro’s, the burger, fries and hot dog joint when you first walk in. This year, I was fascinated when I walked into Hope for the first time and saw all of the different stations that are available to students. In addition, I didn’t realize that the stations were self-serve. Last year, the staff at the dining halls had to put your food on your plate for you, similar to a high school cafeteria. Walking in and being able to scoop my own food onto my plate was a strange experience for me.

 

2. So Many Students Go Here 

With the majority of students living off campus and having all online classes, the only students on campus during the day were the freshmen who were living in the dorms. There was rarely a line at Ram’s Den at 12pm on a Tuesday, which is something that is unheard of this year. People were never really on the quad, never walking around, and you certainly didn’t have to wait in line to get down the stairs after your class. Coming back to school this year and realizing how many people go here was a surreal experience. I didn’t think that I had a bad freshman year experience because I didn’t know any different, but when I came back for my sophomore year, I realized how much I was actually missing from the campus experience.

 

3. It’s Way Easier To Stay Motivated in Person 

In my opinion, I have found it way easier to stay on top of all of my work with the return of in person classes. I know that this opinion can be controversial for some, however actually having to get out of bed in the morning has made staying motivated to do my classwork and go to class. It’s too easy to just not log onto your Zoom call, but having to physically move your body to get to class makes it a lot easier not to skip. In my opinion, of course. I know that I will probably get some negative feedback on this one.

 

4. Campus is One Large Hill 

Living in Hillside during a COVID school year, I was relatively close to everything that I would ever need. The Memorial Union was up the road, Butterfield was across the street, the library was a five minute walk away, and I never had to go to any classes. Needless to say, I was in for a rude awakening when I moved to Fraternity Circle this year and had to walk up to Swan Hall for the first time. The hill is brutal. It’s brutal when it’s cold, it’s brutal when it’s hot, it’s brutal when it’s icy, it’s just brutal all the time. Allotting enough time to walk all the way across campus is definitely something that I had to get used to, especially when I need to leave 15 minutes before my class’ start time sometimes. However, the Rhody Blue Line shuttle was an absolute lifesaver once I could figure out how to take it. I never walk anywhere anymore.

Of all the things that I learned as a “freshmore,” these are some of the first things that come to mind. While this year certainly is not completely back to normal, it’s definitely much better and much different than what we experienced in the 2020-21 school year. I can’t wait to experience what my older friends say a COVID-free college year is like, but for now, I’m thankful for what I have and what I can get.

 

Hi! I’m Juliana and I’m a sophomore Communications and Journalism student from Brookfield, CT. I can’t wait to continue my passion for writing as a blog writer for InsideRec! Outside of Campus Recreation, I’m also involved in Greek Life, the Good Five Cent Cigar, and URI 101 mentoring. In my free time, you can find me watching the sunset in Narragansett, sitting on the quad with my friends, or in the line at Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m looking forward to writing more blog-style posts and giving advice from my own experiences!