New Student Week: A Senior’s Retrospective

Most colleges have some sort of orientation for first year students. At Carleton, we have New Student Week (NSW). First-years move onto campus a week early to get situated and learn about what it means to be a student in the Carleton community. During that week, there are educational CarlTalks (basically Carleton-specific TED Talks) and various resource and academic fairs, where they give students a bunch of information. But most importantly, new students learn about the community itself. And of course, there is the frisbee toss tradition: everyone writes their name on a frisbee, throws it, then picks up someone else’s frisbee in the hopes that you will make a new friend once you return that person’s frisbee.

Three years ago, in 2022, I completed NSW for the first time. My parents packed me and all the belongings I could fit into our car for the six hour drive, from Chicago to Northfield. I had never gone to sleep-away camp, so college was this exciting new thing where I would get to meet so many new people. Although, I was kind of dreading being assigned to a triple because the last time I had a roommate was my brother in elementary school! I barely remember the moment I arrived at Watson Hall, but I do remember how efficient the sports teams were at helping us transfer our overpacked car into a moving cart. I do think my side of the room turned out pretty nice.

I gave myself a goal for NSW: to go outside my comfort zone. Despite my excitement to be at Carleton, everything I did that first week was new and honestly scary. During the Music Fest (where the music department showcases how to get involved in music at Carleton), I introduced myself to a group of people who were standing around. By simply introducing myself, I met one of my closest friends, Chance. I even wounded up reviving the Sailing Club with him and his roommate that Fall term. By Senior year, we are all still friends (and still run the club together).

This year, I attended New Student Week for the last time, but as a New Student Week Leader (NSWL). I was a NSWL last year, but I was less introspective my junior year. I did have a ton of fun with my fellow New Student Week Leaders and I made some new friends that week.

Thinking back to my first New Student Week, it felt like if I didn’t make friends then, I would never make friends ever. But I met most of my friends through work-study (campus jobs), random encounters, and clubs. Everyone here is so friendly that when I find myself in a class where I don’t know anyone, I can just introduce myself to a stranger and start a conversation.

Even as a senior, I am still making new friends and getting closer to old friends. One thing that Carleton really drills into new students is the amount of resources available here, your friends being one of them. Whether it’s emotional or academic support, I know that there are wonderful people all across campus that I can turn to in times of need, or if I just want to yap with someone.

Ronnie (they/she/he) is a senior Biology major from Oak Park, IL. Outside of blogging, she is also an Admissions tour guide and a Student Ambassador for Alumni Relations. You can usually find them in Cowling Gymnasium with the Ballroom Dance Team, practicing for the next competition or chatting with teammates. They also have very strong opinions about food on campus (especially LDC eggs and Burton fried tofu). She is also the commodore of  Carleton’s sailing club and a DJ for KRLX, the student run radio station