New Term, New Faces

Coming back to campus after doing an OCS fall term is definitely a unique experience. While a lot of the old, familiar faces might have graduated, there are so many new students to meet on campus. This is, of course, in addition to all the faces who might have been around for a while but are just new to you. After a couple of weeks back on campus, I am excited to share a little bit about this experience!

First-years!

This one is definitely the most obvious of the new faces that I have been seeing. Since all first-years enter Carleton during the fall term, these are definitely the newest of the new faces. After having gone through New Student Week and a whole first trimester of classes, the first-years are already pretty comfortable with campus life. They have found their favorite study spots (some of which were my old favorites), found the best routes to navigate campus buildings, discovered the magic of the panini press in the dining hall, etc. 

My closest interaction with first-year students is as a student manager in the dining halls. I love chatting with them about their current aspirations, their favorite classes, their least favorite classes— pretty much everything. Not so long ago I was in their shoes (and dining hall polos), the fresh, new face on campus. Now as an upperclassman, I get to meet these new faces and watch them develop, and that is so exciting to me!

New Faces (to me)

I love the fact that here at Carleton I am always meeting new people. Moving back into Culinary House, I got to meet a whole bunch of new people. Yet, none of them are new to campus, just new to me. Each term at Carleton is a chance to meet new people whether they be in your classes, in your house, or just someone you meet by chance waiting for your coffee at Sayles.

Although Carleton is a relatively small school, I certainly don’t know everyone— I never will! Even though I left campus in the spring feeling like I knew everyone there is to know, I’m now back on campus and feel like I know so little of Carleton again.

My Takeaways

Although I often think I am a Carleton pro of sorts, each term I come back to campus and I learn that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are so many people to meet here and they’re all so great! Being at Carleton is constantly challenging me and my beliefs in the best way possible. Each new face I meet here makes this place a little bit more like home. To new faces, today, tomorrow, and hopefully each day after that!

Aidan (he/him) is a junior from Batavia, IL coming back to Northfield after a semester off-campus in Paris. He is a Religion and French and Francophone Studies double major with a passion for ceramics. Outside of class, he enjoys spending his time cooking, hanging out with his housemates in the Culinary Interest House, and performing in Carleton’s sketch comedy group. You can often find him at the campuses’ two dining halls chatting with other students while working as a student dining hall manager.