The perks of being a first-year

Published 09/12/2016

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“Thank you!” I yelled to the bus driver as I stepped off the bus and began my walk to the AFC. Surprisingly I was running a bit early for my dance club tryouts, so I decided to take my time to get there. Strolling down Alderman Road, the first thing I noticed were the herds of first-years walking to Crossroads or heading back to their dorms. Even though I did not live in New Dorms my first year, I laughed to myself as I remembered the many eventful nights and study sessions that ended at Crossroads last year. By the time I reached the AFC, I felt very nostalgic about first year. While there certainly are advantages to being an upperclassman, there are several first year perks I am sad to leave behind.

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1. Living with or near your best friends

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Although I had a single room in Dillard last year and did not become very close with my hall, I became best friends with one of my suitemates and two girls living in suites near me. Some of my best first year memories include the nights I stayed up way too late doing homework, eating ramen or talking about life with them. Unfortunately we did not become close until after we had chosen our housing for second year, so we now all live in different places. I still see them regularly, but being able to live with them is a perk I hope to regain next school year.

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2. Unlimited meal plan

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While I had the option to get an unlimited meal plan again for my second year, it did not make sense for me, since I live in Lambeth and have access to a kitchen. I also preferred to eat breakfast on the go and used a lot of plus dollars during my first year; therefore, it would be a waste of money to pay for meal swipes I would not use. Nevertheless, I miss the perk of being able to swipe into the dining hall whenever I want to. Whether it was for a full meal or a to-go cup of coffee, I tried to take advantage of my meal swipes as much as I could last year. Now with the Semester 100 Meal Plan, I can only use one meal swipe per day. Though this has worked well for me so far, it certainly is not as convenient.

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3. Proximity and accessibility

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Speaking of meal plans, first-years have the convenience of living near at least one of the three main dining halls, plus Crossroads, the Castle or Runk C3. Students living in Brown College, Old Dorms or New Dorms also are close to the main academic buildings. Those living in Courtenay, Dunglison, Fitzhugh or Gooch-Dillard are farther away from classes but have access to almost all of the bus routes and the free trolley. After realizing how long the walk from Dillard to Central Grounds is during the first week of school last year, I quickly learned how to use the busses and was able to get to my classes much faster.

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Living in Lambeth, I no longer have a dining hall right next to me and have access to only a few of the bus routes. Though they still get me to classes pretty quickly, I no longer have the perk of having a bus stopping near me every ten minutes.

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4. Taking classes for fun

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Though not every first-year takes classes for fun, those in the College certainly have the freedom to do so. From COLAs to classes with unconventional subjects, first-years have a unique opportunity to explore their interests — especially during their first semester. Even though I focused mainly on fulfilling my requirements during first year, I took advantage of this opportunity by taking an archeology COLA and a history class, even though I had already fulfilled the historical studies requirement. While these were not my favorite classes, my COLA gave me a taste of a subject I had never learned about before, and my history class influenced me to consider the American Studies major. Now, as a prospective Media and American Studies major, I have to focus on fulfilling requirements to declare the majors and cannot afford to take classes for fun this year. Nevertheless, I will not let this deter me from taking a few interesting classes outside of my majors before I graduate.

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5. Exploring Grounds

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Perhaps the best thing about first year is the dual exhilaration and nervousness of not knowing anything or anyone on Grounds. While it can be scary getting lost on the first week of classes or taking the wrong bus, it can be exciting eating at the Corner for the first time, joining clubs at the activities fair and meeting a lot of new people. My greatest memory of this excitement occurred at my first Lighting of the Lawn. As I watched the Lawn light up with beautiful Christmas colors and held on to the shoulders of my neighbors while singing the Good Old Song, it was then I knew that I belonged at U.Va.

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Even though I now know my way around Grounds, have made friends and am involved in most of my interests, I refuse to leave this excitement behind. This journey of new experiences does not end with first year, but continues for upperclassmen at U.Va. and beyond.

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