On August 18th, 1,700 freshmen from around the world arrived on Villanova’s campus. 

Cars were tightly crammed with students’ various belongings, and the scenes of the day included orientation counselors lugging around infamous blue Ikea bags and chatter between roommates about how best to arrange the room. Completion of room decorating marked the beginning of the orientation process and students’ new lives at Villanova. 

The first few days were filled with nightly socials, informative skits, icebreaker activities and tearful goodbyes. While some compared the evening offerings to that of summer camp, these experiences were largely attended and helped in fostering new friendships and creating communities for the newest members of Nova Nation.

Orientation has now been over for a few weeks and freshmen have settled in, started classes and become somewhat acclimated to campus life; however, some still long for the days solely dedicated to forging new relationships. 

“While orientation was super long, after, I realized how helpful it was,” freshman Delia Kline said. “I had a group of people I knew on campus during the first couple of days.” 

So, all in all, while the occasional freshman may have rolled their eyes at some of the activities, most really did enjoy and learn from the orientation experience, and it helped immediately integrate them into life here at Villanova.

As the sun set on orientation, it rose on the first day of classes the next day. Outfits were picked out, pictures were taken in front of the church and, just like that, freshmen got their first glimpse into what their academic life at Villanova would look like. 

Some headed toward Driscoll Hall for their nursing classes, while business majors headed toward Bartley Hall. Liberal arts and sciences students headed toward a variety of different buildings including Tolentine, Mendel and the Saint Augustine Center, while engineers are eagerly awaiting the new CEER Expansion Project. 

However, no matter what direction these freshmen were heading in, they all were going to have to adapt to the demands and rigors of each of their new classes. 

Freshman Kaitlyn Jasinski said that she finds the workload to be “more challenging” and that there is definitely “a lot more of it,” but that she “also has a lot more time to do it and it is all about managing time well.” 

The academics at Villanova are not the only thing students have had to manage. After attending the involvement fair on August 25th, students have begun to participate in a variety of clubs ranging from sports teams to performing arts groups to organizations within their intended career path. 

These activities not only provide students an outlet to express themselves and continue to pursue their passions at the collegiate level, but also allow them to branch out and meet new people. 

While all of these aspects play an important part in shaping a Villanovan’s freshman year experience, the experience is not truly complete without at least one meal at the Court at Donahue, more affectionately known as “Spit.”

This all-you-can-eat style dining hall is a rite of passage for many freshmen, however, it elicits mixed emotions among the members of this class. While some enjoy the daily options, others are already bored with the redundancy of certain menu items. 

“I think the options are okay, but I would definitely enjoy more of a variety and wish the stations would change more often,” freshman Emily Francesca said.  

Regardless, Spit serves as a unifier for freshmen, a spot where students can converse with friends after a long day and run into people they may not be eating with. This allows them to grow their circle of people even more, which is a constant goal freshmen are trying to achieve.  

After about three weeks at Villanova, freshmen may appear settled in and secure in their place on campus. But, the truth is, no one truly has it all figured out yet. Majors will change and friend groups will shift, but that’s all part of the process. 

That is what college is about – taking risks and trying new things. One thing that I hope remains constant throughout the Class of 2027’s four years at Villanova is the excitement that students can feel in the air to learn, develop and grow.