At Mentors’ Circle, just outside of the Involvement Fair, newfound friends Naisae Ngido and Izzy Hallberg had already met Oliver Yao, dean of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, and attended an ice cream social and a dorm meeting. 

“I’m looking forward to new experiences, meeting new people and trying new things,” said Hallberg, a first-year student majoring in finance. “We live on the northern part of campus, so I’m also looking forward to becoming an expert at catching the campus shuttle.”

Ngido, also a first-year student majoring in finance, mapped out all of her classes and visited them over the weekend. 

“I like to be prepared, and I didn’t want to be late on the first day,” she said. “The campus is big, but it’s not as overwhelming as I thought it would be after I walked from class to class.”

On the north side of Memorial Hall, Mark Younan, a sophomore majoring in computer science with a minor in philosophy, was already working on one of his goals for the academic year. 

“One of my personal goals is to be more social this year,” he said. “I went to the Involvement Fair yesterday and joined several clubs that interest me, including some sports clubs.”

Two hours before their first class, Emma Kamich and Elena Sangemino sat at a picnic table on The Green to review their syllabi. 

“I’m nervous about my course load change from high school to college, and the assignment expectations,” said Sangemino, a first-year mechanical engineering student. “Upperclassmen have said that the professors are helpful, so I think I’ll be fine.” 

Headed to grab coffee with a friend on Main Street, Aaliyah McRae, a second-year transfer student majoring in psychology, said that she plans to make the most of her Blue Hen experience.

“I’m looking forward to taking my first neurology class this semester,” she said. “In a couple of weeks, I’m auditioning for the UD Dance Team.” 

Kaci Ieppert and Fiona Kennedy spent many days together grounding themselves in nature, preparing for the year ahead. Kennedy, a sophomore majoring in biology, has her sights set on her ecology class because it is the prerequisite for an ecology lab she plans to take next semester.

“I’ve been thinking about my career options as a biology major,” she said. “This year, I want to have more of a balance between my work and school life, but there hasn’t always been one.”

Ieppert, a senior majoring in political science with a minor in law, politics and theory, said she’s looking forward to all of the classes on her schedule this semester, but also curious about what the future holds for her. 

“I’m starting to get serious about life,” she said. “It’s my last year at UD, so I spent a lot of time outside in nature reflecting and thinking ahead over the summer.”

Study tips from UD’s Academic, Coaching and Tutoring

As students settle into the semester, Amanda Brunson, an academic success coach in the Center of Academic Success, shared four tips to help  students  start — and finish — strong this year. 

• Plan ahead. “Review the big picture of your syllabi and narrow down assignments in a week-to-week format,” she said. “Putting all of your due dates in one place is a great way to stay organized and on top of things.”

• Time management. “I wish students realized that they don’t have as much free time as they think,” Brunson said. “Study at the end of the day to avoid mid- and late-semester cramming sessions.” 

• Attend office hours. “They can be intimidating, but they don’t have to be,” she said. “Have a plan beforehand, take notes during the meeting and have an objective that you want to meet by the end of the meeting.” She added that the networking aspect of office hours can impact future recommendation letters that students request from professors.

• Make connections. “Of course we want students to be academically successful, and we also want students to enjoy themselves,” Brunson said. “Students should take advantage of the on-campus experience — interact with classmates, join or start an organization.”