With the graduating class of 2023 starting classes and settling in now. Let’s check up on them!

Matt Durburg 

What school? 

“I go to CU Boulder!”

When did you move in? 

“I moved in on August 22nd.”

How is the food? 

“Honestly pretty good. The food in town is amazing and on campus it’s not bad either.”

Was it hard to make friends? 

“Not really, everyone is in the same boat as you so everyone is trying to meet new people. I also knew a handful of people going here as well which helped.”

Do you and your roommate(s) get along well? 

“My roommate is pretty cool so we get along just fine. He’s from Boston and it was a random roommate.”

How do you get around? Bike? Walk? Car? 

“I walk most of the time but they have electric bikes on campus that you can use when you have to go somewhere far.”

What is one thing you can not live without in your dorm room? 

“My AirPods, kind of weird trying to watch something in a small room without them. Don’t want to annoy the roommate.”

What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming freshmen in college?

“Just be yourself and everything will figure itself out.”

Victoria Lang

What school? 

“I go to TCU!”

When did you move in? 

“I moved in on August 12!”

How is the food? 

“You have to find the hidden places around campus for the better food but in terms of the cafeteria… not so good.”

Was it hard to make friends? 

“I am very appreciative of the fact that I came to college with a few friends because it helps to make even more friends because their friends become yours. I think that rushing first semester is also helping to make friends as there are sorority events right away. My biggest tip would just be to say hi to everyone in your dorm when you walk past them and if you are waiting in line for food or the elevator to just make conversation.”

Do you and your roommate(s) get along well? 

“My roommate and I are getting along great! She is from Winnetka and we did not previously know each other before coming to TCU, but we got set up by a few mutual friends.”

How do you get around? Bike? Walk? Car? 

“TCU’s campus is very walkable, my farthest class from my dorm is maybe just over 10 minutes walking. Anywhere on campus I can walk for food, the rec, the pool, other friends’ dorms in 10 minutes or less. If I want to go somewhere off campus a friend with a car usually picks me up. But if someone is looking into TCU and debating if they should bring their car, I would say it’s not necessary freshman year.”

What is one thing you can not live without in your dorm room? 

“Something I am so grateful to have in my dorm room is a sink, obviously this is not a guarantee in all school dorms but it is so nice to have. Other than that, I’d say getting a big trash can is very necessary.”

What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming freshmen in college?

“My advice is to keep yourself busy. It helps with keeping from being homesick and also the more you get involved in the more people you will meet!”

Jack Griffin

What school? 

“I attend Elon in North Carolina.”

When did you move in? 

“I moved in on August 17th.”  

How is the food? 

“The food here is good. I end up going to Biscuitville and Qdoba on campus a lot which is new to me here.”

Was it hard to make friends? 

“Not at all. You’ll be able to find your people pretty quickly. I went out on one of the first nights with three other guys, and we have been a little group ever since.”

Do you and your roommate(s) get along well? 

“My roommate is not in my ‘friend group’ but we get along well and will talk about each other’s days. His name is Henry and he is from Mississippi. I met him in person at an admitted student event over spring break and we just decided to be roommates.”

How do you get around? Bike? Walk? Car? 

“The campus here is very walkable. My average steps per day have definitely gone up since I have been here.”

What is one thing you can not live without in your dorm room? 

“I would not be able to live without a futon. When I get back and am dirty but just want to chill it is nice to have a different option than my bed. It is also helpful when I have friends in my dorm.”

What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming freshmen in college?

“Don’t stress about making friends, just give it some time and you will have a good group of people.” 

Lauren (Lolo) Everleigh 

What school? 

“I got to University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign!” 

When did you move in? 

“I moved in on August 16th.”

How is the food? 

“The dining hall food is what you would expect; mediocre. I feel bad complaining because they are feeding so many people but the options are definitely limited to begin with, and even more limited for me because I am vegetarian. It is especially difficult if you live in private housing and can only eat in one dining hall. Some of my friends have changed their diets completely because they weren’t getting enough sustenance from their meals here. I would definitely recommend bringing microwaveable food.”

Was it hard to make friends?

“Not at all! Every freshman is going through the same process and trying to find their group. My roommates and I kept our door open during the move-in days and it’s how we met some of our best friends here. It also helps that I live in a very social dorm with a lot of people in Greek life.”

Do you and your roommate(s) get along well? 

“I am in a triple with two girls from Lane Tech and I love them! I found them on the UIUC instagram page, which was honestly a brutal experience but definitely worth it.”

 How do you get around? Bike? Walk? Car? 

“I always walk to class, but I know a lot of people take the bus. I am too afraid to use it because one of my friends was trying to get to the Quad and ended up in the middle of nowhere Urbana.” 

What is one thing you can not live without in your dorm room? 

“Any decorations. The rooms are so sad and prison-like so I would definitely recommend planning out how you want to decorate your dorm with your roommate(s)!”

What is one piece of advice you would give to incoming freshmen in college?

“Keep an open mind and get involved on campus! Especially if you are going to a big school it will be really helpful to get to know people and make a large campus feel smaller.”