During my first year of college, my roommate was a friend from high school. We communicated that we wanted to be roommates over the summer, and because I knew her, I thought, “Oh, I don’t need to talk to her about anything ahead of time.” After living with a roommate, I’ve realized you should talk deeply and set expectations no matter how close you are. It’ll help you both acclimate and help each other if you have a new roommate or will in the future. Be sure to reference these tips to help develop a strong roommate relationship. 

Hi! I'm Rebecca Karpel, a sophomore from Great Neck, New York. I am a student in the Cornell College of Human Ecology, majoring in Human Development. My career goal is to get a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology and perform psychological assessments for children and adolescents. I invite you to join me on this lovely spring Tuesday, where I'll take you through my day! 

Arriving at a college campus can be overwhelming for a plethora of reasons. At Cornell, we have many resources to guide you through your academic journey. Below is a list of five resources that may be useful for your time at school. 

Every spring as the snow and ice melt, Cornell’s student organizations Amber Dance Troupe and Illuminations Dance Troupe put together Rhythms of China, our annual Chinese traditional dance showcase. This yearly event invites the Cornell community to travel through time and space to feel the beauty of another country.

Choosing a college major can be an overwhelming task. With so many fields of study, it can take time to determine what aligns best with your interests and career goals. When I began my college journey, I struggled with this very issue. My interests include economics, government, political science, philosophy, law, and more. After much contemplation and research, I decided to study policy at the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy — this was the perfect fit for me!

When people discover that I’m from Hawaii, the most common question I’m followed up with is, What brought you all the way to Cornell? Here, I share the three main reasons that brought me to a college across the country.  

Unique Areas of Academic Study 

When I started my “college search” in high school, I wasn’t sure what to major in. My interests in and out of the classroom varied: I was fascinated by science and medicine, I loved learning about world language and culture, and I had a long-standing passion for cooking.   

Cornell’s vibrant campus became my new home soon after I arrived for new-student orientation. I was terrified. As a transfer student, I feared other students would already have close friends, and I would struggle adjusting to my classes. However, when we were placed into orientation groups, we had the chance to meet fellow students and ask our leader any questions. Whether it was about the intensity of courses or where the best food on campus was, my orientation leader reassured us we belonged at Cornell and would succeed.

If there is anything I can prepare you for as a native Floridian at Cornell, it's the winter weather. Ithaca, NY, is home to all four seasons, and if you're a student from a different climate, you might be surprised as summer turns to fall and then to a cold winter. To help you prepare, whether you're from Florida or another warm locale, here are Sammie's three S's for a Successful transition.  

After spending the last seven years at a small, all-girls private school, changing schools—let alone moving across the country to a big university—was a huge transition I hesitated to take on. My high school graduating class had 92 other students, and each class had 20 students at most. I was very comfortable in the bubble of peers I grew up with and felt connected to every one of my classmates.