Rappaport is one of approximately 4,100 new students who will begin their journeys at UD next week when they start the fall semester and one of many who will move into the residence halls on Saturday, Aug. 23. In the weeks leading up to the big move, students from across Delaware and across the country have been preparing to move to campus.

Cassidy White, an incoming student from Dagsboro, Delaware, wants to make sure she doesn’t forget any of the essentials. Indeed, she created a spreadsheet that lists the items she plans to pack, the amount of each item she needs and when she wants to have everything ready to go.

“That really helps me stay organized and takes away some of the stress of packing,” she said. “I’m just taking it one step at a time, a little every day.”

In addition to the essentials like bedding, a shower caddy and school supplies, White is also packing sewing supplies for crochet and embroidery — two of her favorite hobbies — and board games to play with her five suitemates.

While she’s never had a roommate before, having five automatic friends (she’ll be living in a suite-style residence hall) at the start of college will help make the transition easier, she said.

“It will be a new experience for sure, and that always comes with some nerves, but it's also a chance to try something new,” she said.

White will be studying materials science and engineering. She has a particular interest in sustainable materials, inspired by the population growth and construction trends in Sussex County, where she’s from.

“Construction-wise, you see a lot of new buildings come up, and I feel like sustainable materials are a great way to allow the community to grow while still helping the environment,” she said. “A lot of the farm area is being taken over by houses, and a lot of this area is marsh, and the marsh should be protected. It's a very important environment around here.”

UD is the perfect place for her to make those dreams a reality while also exploring other opportunities like studying abroad or pursuing the 4+1 secondary STEM education program.

“UD has a really strong engineering program, so I hope to get the most out of that,” White said. “I also hope to get the most out of using their internship opportunities or travel abroad opportunities, if I decide to do that. I've never been out of the country, so any experience abroad would be something new.”

Kenneth Felton, an incoming music education major from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, is a member of the UD Marching Band and moved to campus early for pre-season training camp. The decision to come to UD was an easy one to make, even after being accepted to all six colleges to which he applied.

“I loved UD not just because the campus was beautiful, but I also felt like it would be a second home for me,” he said. “Even on my very first tour, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I'm going here.’”

While he knows UD will eventually feel like home, he’s equally nervous and excited about starting this next chapter in his life. 

“It's going to be weird waking up somewhere new and then starting a new life that day, but it's just a new step in the next chapter of your life,” he said. “It's going to be scary at times, but if I go into it with a strong attitude and confident mindset, I'll just be able to get it done. All the hard work I've done to get here has prepared me.”

Having studied French, Italian and Spanish in high school, Rappaport, the three languages major, also feels prepared for her future academic endeavors, continuing with French and Italian, and adding Hebrew as her third language.

She plans to put her language proficiency to use in teaching, translating or the travel industry. 

Rappaport looks forward to taking advantage of UD’s study abroad options and learning more about cultures around the world, and she wants to help dispel the stereotype of the traveler who only speaks English and relies on people to understand American culture. 

“I hope to gain a lot of self-awareness and immerse myself in different cultures,” she said.

But first, she is excited to dive into campus life. 

“I definitely want to be very involved in many different things, but that's just one of the things that I've told myself, like, okay, you can get there, get settled, figure out your classes and everything, and then look into it,” she said.