Congratulations, and welcome to the University of Rochester! During orientation, the amount of resources and programs thrown at you will make your head spin. Never fear, the Greene Center is here to help—by throwing our own concoction of must-know opportunities into the mix.
Despite the endless flow of information, critical resources always fly under the radar of even the most diligent student. To help you uncover some of those hidden gems, we polled our Greene Center student staff to see what advice they would have for their first-year selves.
Advice from students
“The Greene Center! There are so many useful resources, especially regarding career exploration. I also wish I had learned proper resume formatting right at the beginning of my freshman fall, which the Greene Center can help with.”
-Kavya Koll, ‘24, Economics and Art History
“To be successful in college, you have to rely on the help of academic departments on campus. It’s not a solo game, it’s a collaborative effort to succeed.”
-Johnny R. Fernandez, ‘22, Business Finance
“For students pursuing creative fields, there are a lot of labs and studios! You can get trained in Rettner for video and audio (and rent out equipment), there’s a sound design lab in the Computer Studies Building, and editing labs in Sage. Often classes or workshops are required for access, but you’ll start getting hands on experience and it’ll help you learn the equipment. Plus, they can save you SO much money while you learn what you like to use.”
-Grace Stensland, ‘23, Film and Media Production
“I wish I knew how fun and useful being a teaching assistant for a class can be. You’re involved in a department you’re interested in, which gives you a stronger connection with the professor and helps you reinforce the concepts you learned in the class. You also get to add a strong experience to your resume, and, of course, you get paid a bit.”
-Shoham Shitrit, ‘22, Computer Science
Additional resources
Several students also highlighted the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). Here, you can find workshops, study groups, and even a one-on-one tutor. This resource is especially helpful for students in large introductory classes. Need help with time management? CETL also has a variety of resources to help you improve your general study habits and skills.
Another resource students couldn’t stop talking about is the Career Clothing Closet. This gem is literally hidden on the first floor of Lattimore, and is operated by the Greene Center to allow students access to professional clothing. The Closet carries suits, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories. Stop in and find what you need, entirely free!
We don’t want to overwhelm you too much; this list could go on forever. What’s important to know is that if you need something, there’s a resource on campus that can help! While it’s good to keep a few tools on deck, you don’t need to memorize all the school has to offer. Scheduling an appointment with an advisor (at the Greene Center or elsewhere on campus) is a great way to get connected to resources you didn’t even know existed.
After four years at UR, senior and Business Marketing major, Zoe Spoor wanted to point students to a more introspective resource: their confidence. “Imposter syndrome is real! But you belong here just as much as anyone else! No one talks about it, but many people are struggling just as much as you may be. You’re not alone!”
