It's an exciting time for incoming freshmen at the University of Oregon. IntroDucktion visits are in full swing, roommates are being selected, and packing is underway. I remember participating in all of this preparation, but what I spent the most time doing was scouring the internet for information about what college is like. Unfortunately I can’t answer every incoming freshman’s urgent questions, but with the help of a Duck Store team member, Malia Hunter, we can give you some tips and tricks to succeed this fall (Malia’s ideas in green)!
Getting Ready for Move-In
- If you’re going to drive to UO to move into the dorms, buy your bedding, organizers, side table, etc. at home, and bring it with you. The stores get insanely busy here and sell out of dorm items quickly during move-in.
- If you are planning to travel home for winter break, consider leaving your heavy winter coats and clothing at home for fall term and bring them back with you for winter.
- If you’re coming from far away and will be flying, buy vacuum packing bags! They’ll shrink down sweaters and save you tons of space.
- My dorm must haves are a shower caddy, mattress pad, fan, slippers, and a robe. Everything else is optional in my opinion, except maybe some clothes and your laptop.
- Bring an extra long extension cable!
Next Steps
- Join student organizations!
- Even if you aren’t sure exactly what you’re interested in yet, getting involved with student orgs is a great way to figure it out. Try to attend meetings or get in contact with 10 or so organizations to find out what they’re all about, and then narrow it down to 2 or 3 you could really see yourself being a part of. This is also a great way to meet like-minded people with similar interests who you could become friends with!
- Finding a job
- Similarly to student orgs, an on-campus job is a great way to meet people with similar interests and career goals. Try checking out Handshake for on-campus jobs that will work around your class schedule, or even allow you to do homework while on the clock.
- Understand your degree guide
- Advisors can help you out, but it's important to be able to track your progress yourself. Make an effort while you’re new to the university to figure out which credits you need and lay out a loose game plan for when you will take each course.
- Go to office hours
- It is important to talk with your professors, especially if you are confused. Going to office hours can be intimidating at first but professors have office hours for a reason!
- Join group tutoring
- Many 100 and 200 level classes offer group tutoring sessions outside of class time where you can review the material in a smaller group setting. This is a great option if you know you struggle with a subject. There is also drop-in tutoring on the top floor of the library for math and writing classes.
- Finding Balance
- Freshman year is all about exploring what you’re interested in and who you like spending time with, but you should also know your limits. You have to learn when to say no and how to find some much needed alone time.
After Your First Year
- Spend a summer in Eugene
- Eugene is so beautiful (and empty!) during summer and I strongly believe everyone should experience it at least once during your time in school.
- Study abroad
- The University of Oregon allows students to study abroad through their own programs as well as through exchanges and partner programs. This means that you’ll be able to find a program that works with your degree. A popular option is a shorter summer program!
- Explore Oregon
- Chances are you at least kind of like spending time outside if you came to UO. There are lots of great ways to experience the outdoors at UO, including the Outdoor Program, Outdoor Pursuits classes, and clubs like UO Snow and Adventure Club. These programs allow you to experience Oregon’s natural beauty for little to no money, and you don’t need a car!
We hope that this advice will help make move-in day (and the next four years!) a little bit easier. Although we covered a lot, there’s always more! Let us know what your dorm essentials and UO tips and tricks are by sending them to @theduckstore on Instagram.