Congratulations! You have officially enrolled at the University of Rochester. So… what happens now?
The first thing you should do is celebrate. Enrolling in college is a massive accomplishment, and it is the end ofa long and often stressful admissions process. Make sure to take time to relax and appreciate this life milestone!
After accepting your spot at URochester, there are still lots of exciting tasks to complete before you arrive on campus. The list below can help you determine the next steps in your Rochester journey and how to ensure your transition to college is as smooth as possible.
- Finish your senior year strong!
“Senioritis” is a common trap that graduating high schoolers often fall into in their final months before graduation. While this is certainly a time to enjoy and celebrate, it is important to maintain strong academics even after enrollment. I would also recommend focusing on preparation for any AP or IB exams at the end of the year. Doing well on these exams can allow you to earn credit for classes or place into higher-level courses without prerequisites. Make sure to check if you can transfer any credits before starting your first semester!
2. Activate your student account and email.
Soon after submitting your enrollment deposit, you will receive an email from UR Student, the University’s student information system. You should activate your student account, so you can complete any enrollment tasks in UR Student. Be sure to keep track of your account details, as you use them throughout your time at the University of Rochester. As a student, you will also have a Rochester email account created for you automatically. After activating your student account, you will be able to access your Gmail account. This email is where you’ll receive communications from the university about things like housing, financial aid, health insurance, and course information, so be sure to check it regularly!
3. Explore and submit your housing and dining plan
All information about undergraduate housing and dining can be found on the Residential Life and Housing Services website. Take a look at the many photos and videos of the first year housing options like the First Year Quad and Susan B Anthony Hall. All first-year students must live on campus and usually have a required meal plan, and housing and dining contracts are generally due at the beginning of June. After you sign in to your Rochester email, you should receive instructions to locate the contract guides and housing selection forms. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the different housing options and get excited about where you’ll be living!
4. Visit campus!
Spring and summer are great times to visit your new home. You can celebrate your admission and commitment, tour the campus, learn about course offerings, and meet your new classmates. If you missed the Yellowjacket Experience, don’t worry. Catch up on any sessions you missed on the URochester Admissions YouTube channel.
Schedule a tour with Meridian tour guides or just explore River Campus on your own. Stop by for a meal in one of our dining halls or see one of the many student groups that perform weekly. Live far away? No problem! Take a virtual tour of campus and discover some of the iconic spots you’ll see when you arrive.
5. Connect with other incoming or current students.
The summer before your first-year is the perfect time to learn about your new classmates. Be sure to follow official university social media (including @urochesteradmission!) to keep up to date with current happenings on campus. You should receive communication through your new email address about ways to connect with other new students, such as the class Discord server. You can access the Discord server from your MyROC homepage. Unofficial social media accounts are also a common way for newly committed students to connect more personally. While these pages can be great for meeting new friends before Welcome Week, be wary of any suspicious posts or profiles, as these pages are not vetted by the university.
Additionally, if you have questions or concerns that seem best fit for a current student or even an admissions counselor, don’t hesitate to reach out via email or social media! As a general principle, URochester students are a welcoming group of scholars who want to help new Yellowjackets in any way possible.
6. Practice life skills.
For most freshmen, college is a time for many new responsibilities. Being prepared for some of these can help ease feels of anxiety for new students. Before you arrive on campus, here are a few helpful skills to practice, so you feel prepared to live and succeed more independently.
- Learn how you like to organize your time before you get to campus.
- Whether through a Google Calendar, to-do lists or old-fashioned pen-and-paper, test out how you plan to organize your academic and non-academic tasks before you actually have any!
- Practice doing your own laundry and basic cleaning.
- If you’ve never used a washing machine before, don’t let the first week of college be the time you start! Make sure you feel prepared to wash your own clothes, sheets and towels, as well as tasks like washing basic dishes and vacuuming.
- Budget your money.
- Budgeting can look very different in college depending on a student’s individual financial situation. Whether you need to plan student loan payments or want to save extra spending money, work out a plan for how you want to spend your money. Pro tip: There are always scholarships available to apply to, even after you start your URochester career.
- Get to know your personal information.
- Living alone means you are responsible for your own self! This might include information about things like prescriptions, medical conditions, passwords, or subscriptions. Now is a great time to sit down with a parent or guardian and make a list of all the important information that could be helpful both day to day and in an emergency.
7. Enjoy this special time in your life.
The summer after high school graduation is a unique transition period that only happens once. It is a time filled with anticipation, but also with new fears and anxieties. There are exciting opportunities ahead, yet it seems scary to leave behind familiar people and places. Spend time building strong foundations for the relationships you want to maintain in this next chapter of life. Make plans with friends for winter break. Spend time with family and pets. You will certainly find your next home in Rochester and meet people who will shape your college experience and beyond, but be sure to take the time to appreciate and value the existing ties you already have.