Fountain hopping and FOMO: Frosh fall on the Farm

Shortly after she moved in, Greta Holmes ’27 was already dipping her toes into Stanford’s tradition — actually. On her first night time on campus, Holmes and her fellow Branner residents organized an unofficial orientation occasion: a fountain-hopping tour of campus. 

Ruby Coulson’s ’27 favourite second got here earlier than Holmes had even stepped foot onto campus. She stated that Ignite, the Haas Middle’s student-led pre-orientation program, made her transition onto campus “so superb.”

This system, which occurs throughout the weekend previous to orientation, is supposed to introduce frosh to public service and each other. Coulson particularly realized about well being fairness service in and round Stanford. She stated she realized “a ton about public narrative, the tales we inform to communities and the Haas Middle.” 

“The Haas Middle did a spectacular job at balancing assembly new individuals with getting concerned with the neighborhood,” Coulson stated. 

Matthew Han ’27 famous small issues that made campus thrilling, like hanging out with buddies and assembly new individuals. 

The category of 2027 started New Pupil Orientation per week earlier than lessons began on Sept. 19, bringing collectively frosh from across the nation and world. To date, a spotlight of many college students as they get acclimated to their new setting has been attending to know each other.

It hasn’t been all sunshine and fountains although. Along with the precise rain that graced campus on the primary day of lessons, frosh have been dealing with some challenges within the main life adjustment. 

Han, who hails from Pennsylvania, stated homesickness has been troublesome. Being hundreds of miles away from his household has made the transition more durable. Whereas loads of Stanford college students are from California, about 60% of undergraduates are from out-of-state or out-of-country, so Han’s struggles are shared with a big portion of his neighborhood. 

Holmes, who can also be from hundreds of miles away (Portland, Maine), echoes that it’s laborious to “begin contemporary in a very new place.” 

For Coulson, problem lies in choice paralysis.

“One in every of my new buddies properly stated that there’s a perpetual FOMO [fear of missing out] on this campus, since there may be all the time a membership assembly or workplace hours or a hangout,” Coulson stated. “Generally selecting what I’m thinking about may be more durable than the precise occasion itself.” 

Whereas many frosh have devoted vitality to being bodily current with their classmates, many expressed that it’ll doubtless take extra time to transcend surface-level connections. 

“It’s troublesome to attempt to discover individuals who I really feel like I actually join with with out understanding anybody for a lot time, nevertheless it’s positively simpler now that NSO is over and I’m attending to know individuals higher in somewhat little bit of a extra pure approach,” Holmes stated. Although it is probably not taking place as rapidly as she stated she would love, she’s excited “to fulfill individuals from all around the nation and the world.” 

Han is equally desirous to “discover new communities.” As is Coulson, who says she “can’t wait to take and have the ability to be taught from my friends and professionals in a setting that [she] can’t discover anyplace else.” 

“Everybody right here has one thing they care about deeply and I like to listen to about it from them and study their tales,” she stated. 

Holmes, Coulson and Han are all excited for the upcoming educational yr and to determine their place right here. 

“[It’s been] actually surreal understanding that it’s greater than only a faculty — it’s dwelling for the subsequent 4 years,” Han stated.