Incoming first-year student Meghan Barna packs necessities, school supplies and sentimental items as she prepares to move into a residence hall on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Heading to college

Article by Amy Wolf Photos courtesy of Meghan Barna, Blake Robinson, Grace du Pont, Ethan Weinerman and Cierra Spriggs August 22, 2022

Incoming first-year students share excitement, anticipation of starting at UD

Microwave? Check. Mini fridge? Check. Pictures and posters to make their rooms feel more like home? Check.

On Saturday, Aug. 27, about 4,300 new students will begin their journeys at the University of Delaware as they move into the residence halls and prepare to begin the fall semester. In the weeks leading up to the big move, students from across Delaware and across the country have been preparing to move to campus and live in a residence hall.

Meghan Barna, an incoming first-year student from Monroe, New Jersey, said she’s most looking forward to having more independence, learning how to live on her own and meeting new people.

Barna will be living in a triple with her best friend from home and a “bonus” roommate who was assigned to them based on their similar profiles. They’ve started a group chat to establish who is bringing what and text every couple of days to get to know each other better.

“I think we're all going to get along really well,” said Barna, who is glad that she knows one of her roommates but also has the opportunity to get to know someone new. “In April, when I made my decision to go to UD, I was definitely feeling a lot more nervous about moving away from home, and I think the idea of having somebody that I knew with me would kind of bring that sense of home with me and would definitely make me feel more outgoing and make me feel more comfortable with my living situation.”

Blake Robinson says he’s excited to live on campus and establish his friend groups when he starts at UD this semester.

Blake Robinson, a first-year student from Magnolia, Delaware, also knows his roommate, a friend from middle school, but is still a bit anxious about having to share a space with someone else.

“I've never had a roommate before, so it's going to be new,” he said. “I hope it goes great, of course, but I don't know how it's going to be because I’ve never experienced that before.”

But overall, he said he is more excited than nervous, and he’s thrilled to be living on campus.

“I feel like when you're on campus, you're more engaged with everybody around you, and it’s great that all the things are happening in one place,” he said. “Your first year is when you establish most of your friend groups. You've got people on your floor that you can meet — you can just walk down the hall and meet someone new — or you could go to the dining hall and meet a whole other group of people, so that’s a great benefit being on campus.”

Grace du Pont, from Wilmington, Delaware, doesn’t have far to travel, but that doesn’t make the move any less exciting. “I can make it as close or as far away as I want to make it, so I'm very excited for that,” she says.

Grace du Pont, from Wilmington, Delaware, doesn’t have far to travel, but that doesn’t make the move any less exciting. She said she likes having the option to go home as often as she wants to. Her brother also attends UD.

“It's nice because I already have a good feel of the campus,” she said. “But I know there's so much more to explore, and I can make it as close or as far away as I want to make it, so I'm very excited for that.”

Du Pont found her roommate in a Facebook group, and she purposely wanted to find a roommate from out of state so that she could meet new people. While excited overall, she said sharing a room with someone will be an adjustment.

“I'm a little bit nervous about having a shared space all the time and not having enough alone time, because I do like my alone time to unwind,” she said. “I think it's going to be an adjustment living with someone else because I've never done that before — I've never gone to summer camp or anything like that, so it's definitely going to be a new experience for me.”

Ethan Weinerman went to sleepaway camp as a child, so he has experience sharing a living space. Indeed, his roommate is someone he met at camp five years ago.

Ethan Weinerman, from Chester, New Jersey, went to sleepaway camp as a child, so he has shared a living space. His roommate is someone he met at camp five years ago and has kept in touch with via social media. The two have been texting all summer to figure out who’s bringing what to their shared living space.

Weinerman said he has been working all summer, so he hasn’t had much time to shop and get ready, but his parents have helped a lot. He said it hasn’t really hit him yet that move-in is less than a week away.

“Honestly, I have not felt much nervousness yet,” he said. “I'm pretty sure that I'm just in denial that I'm going to get nervous, and then when I'm 20 minutes away when I come on the 27th, it's all going to hit me at once, but so far I’m 100% excited. I can't really feel nervous because I'm just too excited.”

Cierra Spriggs, from Odenton, Maryland, can’t wait to move to campus and start her college career. She said of all the colleges she toured, UD was the one that felt most like home.

Cierra Spriggs found her roommate on an app called ZeeMee, which she said functions a lot like online dating apps, but for finding potential roommates and friends in college. She says they “clicked instantly.”

“Once I did my tour for accepted students — as cliche as sounds — it was love at first sight,” she said. “I just fell in love with the campus and how welcoming everyone was. There are also a lot of activities that UD has to offer, so you're never bored or feel out of place. It’s a big enough school where you always have someone there who you can talk to, and there’s always something going on. I feel like out of the schools I applied to, UD was one of the ones that I felt most welcome at.”

Spriggs found her roommate on an app called ZeeMee, which she said functions a lot like online dating apps, but for finding potential roommates and friends in college. Based on their profiles, the two matched up and, after messaging back and forth for a couple weeks, decided they would make great roommates. Spriggs said they “clicked instantly” and have been talking and getting to know each other. They met in person for the first time at student orientation and are looking forward to getting to know each other better once the semester starts.

Robinson said packing is making the whole experience feel real, and as the move-in date gets closer, he’s getting more excited as well as a little nervous. He said he doesn’t think he’ll get homesick until he starts to crave a home-cooked meal, but since his home is only 40 minutes away, he’ll be able to go home as often as he wants.

“If I'm really missing home, I’ll just stop by,” he said. “I am just very excited. I'm a little anxious, but I'm ready to go, and I'm so glad that I chose the University of Delaware.”