As the fall semester kicks off, new Cornellians have arrived on campus and entered their first-year residence halls. A year ago, they were high school students, dreaming about the many opportunities available to them—just like you! Whether you've only just begun your college search journey or if you've been preparing for months, remember that deadlines approach quickly. It always benefits you to be proactive, especially when juggling home, school, and community responsibilities.

Here are some tips to help you jumpstart your college search.

Ithaca is well known for its cold winter seasons and the snowfall covering Cornell University's campus. I am often asked about the winters at Cornell and the chilly temperatures. Yet, the winter is where Cornell shines bright. The snow that blankets the campus is stunning, and everyone has something they can do to have fun. Here are a few things I enjoy the most during a Cornell winter.

For some students, moving to Ithaca, New York, is the first time they've experienced the beauty of all five seasons (the fifth is "mud season," usually taking place in March!). When the snow melts in spring, Ithaca's hills pop with green and flowers bloom vibrantly. While many students head home during summer, some choose to stay for a Cornell summer session or choose to live in their apartments over summer break.

Your Ithaca experience is incomplete without an Ithaca summer! Here are just a few things to get your to-do list started:

When arriving at Cornell’s campus, I knew I wanted to join many student organizations. However, after hearing that Cornell had over 1,500 student organizations, I realized that choosing only a few clubs would be difficult.

You’ve been to college before, and you’ve done some of this stuff already. You already know what it’s like to sign up for classes, apply for housing, join clubs. You know how to work hard, study effectively, and ask for help when you need it, and you made it to Cornell! Now what? You might feel like you’re a first-year student again, but you don’t quite relate to other new students. It can feel isolating to be in classes with people in your year, knowing everyone around you already had a year to make friends and get used to the way Cornell works.

Coming to Cornell, I thought I had a solid understanding of what office hours were: time professors allotted outside of class to help students understand difficult concepts and content. However, my time at Cornell has changed how I think about and approach office hours.

It can be challenging as you gear up to start your first year at Cornell. Managing coursework, learning about a new campus and city, and making time to meet new friends and join clubs is an adjustment. To acclimate quickly, I found that the four support offices in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (Student Services, Career Services, Engaged and Experiential Programs, and Catherwood Library’s staff) helped me a lot as I eased into my time at Cornell.

We asked faculty members from the College of Human Ecology what they enjoy about working with undergraduate students from Cornell University's College of Human Ecology through teaching, research, and advising. Here’s a sampling of what they shared.