Freshmen Reflect on the First Month of College

The first month of college is often a chaotic and disorienting time, but it is also a period of community-building and novelty. Adjusting to life at Haverford is also a unique experience, with the school’s many rules, dorms, and distinctive food options. 

One common worry among college freshmen is whether they’ll make friends during their first year. But, overwhelmingly, Haverford freshmen expressed the ease with which they made friends. Additionally, Kyra Bi ‘29 noted that because Haverford is a “really small school…if you meet someone, then you’ll probably see them a lot again,” making it easier to maintain friendships. Bi also attributed many newfound friendships to the active role she took in joining “clubs…to meet new people.” Phoebe Hawthorne ‘29 was also appreciative of the many clubs and activities present on campus. Two freshmen, Logan White and Harry Kallen, also expressed gratitude for the kindness of people attending Haverford, with Kallen saying, “I’ve never met this amount of nice people.”  

Some freshmen have found adjusting to academic life at Haverford more difficult than others. Many students describe being overworked. For example, Hawthorne stated that she “stays up late” many nights to complete work, while Bi describes herself as “overloaded,” with school work. Another student expressed frustration with professors, explaining that some have unclear and arbitrary rules that are hard to follow. However, White’s classes were “easier than I was expecting them to be, and g[ave] less volume of homework than my high school classes, which works better for me.” Additionally, Bi expressed that many classes were made easier because “professors have a place to help you if you are struggling.” 

Dorm life can also be a daunting experience. However, overwhelmingly, students, including Kallen and White have enjoyed their dorms and hallmates. Living in a single makes dorm life “pretty similar” to pre-college life, explained Bi. Hawthorne stated “everyone on the hall is nice,” and, specifically, “I love my suitemates.” Bi explained that everyone in her hall has been, “respectful and pretty quiet in late hours.” However, dorm life is not totally without problems. For example, Kallen described their paranoia caused by a mouse sighting in their hall. Fortunately, these problems do not seem to have much of an influence on students’ overall perception of their dorm life. 

Homesickness can also be a challenge for college freshmen, although Kallen, White, and Hawthorne all explained how it is not a major influence on their college lives. However, Bi did note that it has been, “weird [to] not have my family around all the time, or my friends.” However, she seemed content with her solutions to this problem: “staying in touch…calling…[and] messaging people.”  

Unfortunately, Haverford’s food has been problematic for many students. For example, Kallen describes that they try their best to eat food they bought themselves because they do not entirely trust Haverford food to be safe. Additionally, White stated that the “food is bad,” because of its lack of flavor and odd textures. Similarly, Bi noted that the food is lacking in seasoning. Another student expressed that their problems with the food quality has made them need DoorDash. Hawthorne also thinks that the food “is not the best,” but that “people say it’s a lot worse than it actually is.” 

Overall, students seem extremely content with the Haverford social scene and dorm life, while struggling a bit more with academics and college food. Bi summarizes it best: “I am very happy to be having [this] new experience.”