My First Week at Northwestern! 💜

It's crazy to think that I'm finally a Northwestern student! My first week went amazingly, and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better start to college. The first week was actually Wildcat Welcome, so we didn't have any classes yet. Instead, we had a Peer Advisor (PA) who helped show us around campus, introduced us to Northwestern's resources, and taught us all the little things we needed to know about college life.

Wildcat Welcome was also when I met a lot of the friends I still spend time with now. There were so many opportunities to meet people, hang out, and explore campus together. We also had March Through the Arch (shoutout class of '30), which was such a fun way to officially welcome the incoming class. After spending so long looking forward to college, walking through the arch made everything feel real!

Once classes started, things got busy VERY quickly. Club applications opened, and I ended up joining so many pre-med organizations! It's been exciting getting involved in clubs related to medicine and healthcare. At the same time, I definitely had to lock in academically. The transition from spending all day meeting people to suddenly having assignments and deadlines was pretty fast.

A picture of me holding the FDOC poster!

I've also had the chance to experience all four dining halls, and I have to say, they're kind of terrible sometimes. That being said, the food can actually be pretty good on certain days. You just have to get lucky! They also have ice cream and tons of different drinks, which I really enjoy. I've explored the libraries around campus, too, including the 24-hour library called Mudd on the North side.

One thing that's made my transition so much easier is my roommate. He's helped me meet so many people and has made it easier to get comfortable in bigger friend groups. I'm not always the most socially energetic person, so having someone around who helps recharge my social battery has been really nice. I've made so many friends already, and some of my favorite moments have just been doing random things together, whether that's getting food, walking around campus, or hanging out.

I've also really enjoyed exploring Evanston! The environment and culture here are pretty different from what I'm used to in San Ramon, which was pretty dead. Since I live on South Campus, Evanston is super close, so I can easily walk into town to visit one of the many restaurants, cafes, or markets. I love having somewhere new to explore whenever I want a break from campus.

If the first week is any indication of what's to come, I think this year is going to be a good one!

- AnthroManTalks