By Mikey Neusner, Staff Writer and Annette Greenberg
For some, the beginning of one’s college experience can be very hectic, yet to others, it can be relatively relaxing. This is no different at Yeshiva University (YU). When you arrive on campus, there are countless ways your experience might unfold. Transitioning from Israel or high school to college can be a big challenge for many students. There are hundreds of new faces, classes are more difficult, and the stakes feel higher. It’s natural to feel nervous, yet one doesn’t need to go through these emotions alone. At YU, the administration plans a week-long orientation, filled with various programs and events, aimed to help students transition smoothly into their new academic and social lives. This year, these programs included campus tours, academic advising, and introductions to policies and procedures. To find out what students really thought of their first week of school, we asked freshmen on both campuses for their opinions. Students shared not only the challenges they faced, but also achievements they have made as they embarked on their incredible journey at YU.
Students often approach college with a mix of excitement and anticipation. One anonymous student on the Wilf campus noted, “I could barely sleep the week before. I was so nervous as I really didn’t know what to expect and had never been on campus before.” It’s important to note that many members of the current first year students actually applied during the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant that for many of them, the closest they were to a campus visit was the virtual online tour that YU offered. The student continued by saying, “I was really walking in practically blindfolded and so, I was expecting to be overwhelmed and homesick for the first few days because I was entering an environment which I had never seen before.”
On the Stern campus, many students felt similarly. Talia Isaacs shared that she “was expecting to be very nervous and homesick, and wanting to go home every weekend.” Yet, for Talia, this expectation did not become a reality. She says, “I love dorm life and stayed in for shabbos twice already.”
While some students thrived through the nerves, others struggled, as they were entering a whole new world as going back to class worried some students. Judah Troodler arrived expecting classes to be “difficult, challenging, and an adjustment.” Another anonymous student expected classes “to be slightly more intense than high school.”
Students thus felt a mixture of emotions before beginning at YU. Some felt anxious for a new beginning, others were worried about heading back to class. So, did YU help make the transition feel more manageable or should they have done more? Overall, the feedback we received on orientation was fairly positive. Many students enjoyed how orientation allowed them to make new friends.
“Orientation definitely made the transition smoother. I bonded with so many people and made amazing friends! Many information sessions were valuable, but I most appreciated the opportunity to connect with others,” said Stern student Francesca Sonbolian.
Miriam Kassin shared that “being able to make friends at orientation helped me feel more comfortable as the school year began.” Other students appreciated this opportunity at first, but believed it only made the transition more difficult as it created a false narrative. One Wilf student commented that, “It is very challenging to manage friendships because I barely see the friends that I am not in class with. Orientation made me believe the opposite would be true, yet that is far from reality.” On one hand, orientation week provides an incredible opportunity to begin new friendships, yet on the other hand, it can paint a false reality. Students’ responses thus indicate that YU may need to work on making it clear that this lifestyle won’t stick, and perhaps YU should even discuss how to have a successful social life on campus even when classes begin.
Another factor which many students discussed was the transition from high school to college classes. One anonymous student on Wilf pointed out, “in college, you really feel as if you’re in a lecture because there’s less participation and more note taking. In high school, classes are less formal and at times, less organized.” Yet, those differences didn’t seem to bother many students, rather, it was the large workload which caught many students by surprise. Talia Isaacs said, “I’m coming from a highschool where we have classes all day, so the amount of courses hasn’t been pressuring, but the workload and amount of readings I have to do outside of class is new to me and I’m still getting used to that.”
Many students turned to their academic advisors for assistance and found comfort in their advice. Ellen Dweck commented that, “YU was very helpful and they were able to help and guide me in this process. When I was having difficulties with my classes and I didn’t feel like they were the right fit, I was able to speak to academic advisors who guided me in making the correct choices that I should be making, especially for the major I have chosen.” This is a sentiment agreed upon by many students. Asher Rauzman said, “the advisors were easy to talk to and very understanding.” Beyond the advisors, Rauzman added, “the teachers were very understanding of my adjustment from yeshiva in Israel to class at YU.” It seems that, overall, YU successfully helped students transition into classes, particularly because of how understanding the staff was in knowing what each student’s needs would be when beginning their college journies. In this light, even though many students were initially worried about going back to the intensity of a classroom environment, they had nothing to fear as they were in good hands.
While the transition to college life at YU comes with a mixture of emotions, ranging from excitement to fear, the university’s efforts to facilitate this process have been met with fairly positive feedback from students. Orientation provided students with the opportunity to make new friends, which helped them feel more comfortable as the school year began. Yet, it is important to note that while orientation set the stage for these friendships to begin, once reality hit, students expressed how they were frustrated by the lack of time they had to spend with these new friends. This highlights the need for YU to discuss the balance between social and academic life on campus as students begin to transition into their college routines. Nevertheless, the YU administration proved to be helpful when it came to transitioning students back to class. The formal and lecture-based nature of college classes, coupled with the extra amount of workload, was an adjustment for many. Yet, YU, through its various academic advisors, professors, and rebbeim, played a crucial role in helping students navigate these challenges. As YU continues to adapt to the needs of its students, it is clear that they are committed to providing a supportive and warm environment, one which makes adjustment to life on campus much easier.
Correction: The title of this article has been corrected to use “freshmen” instead of “freshman.”