Tips For Rutgers Freshmen

By Lucas Sullivan

As an incoming freshman attending Rutgers, you might be overwhelmed by having to learn the ins and outs of such a large school. These tips should help you get your bearings as you start the year and assist you with three critical resources: transportation, food, and laundry.

Campuses: There are five main campuses at Rutgers here in New Brunswick – Busch, Livingston, College Avenue, Douglass, and Cook. To see where buses are, which campuses they travel between, and how much time you have before they reach your stop, check out www.nextbus.com.

Dining Halls: Once you’ve located the dining hall on your campus, you might want to know what’s on the menu ahead of time so you don’t miss out on your favorite foods. To see the menu for any dining hall, go to http://dining1.rutgers.edu/foodpro/location.asp. All you need to know is the name of your dining hall and you’re good to go.

Laundry: You’ll probably end up doing your laundry every two or three weeks, but you’ll want to avoid doing it on certain days due to crowding. Try to avoid doing laundry on a Saturday or Sunday – if you go on a Tuesday night, you’re likely to have more than enough open washers and dryers. To see which machines are in use in your area’s laundry room, go to http://rutgers.esuds.net/RoomStatus/showRoomStatus.do. All you need is the name of the laundry room closest to your building.

Five Useful Tips for Freshmen:
1) Go to sleep on time – you’ll thank yourself in the morning.
2) Don’t forget to eat healthy every once in awhile.
3) Don’t be afraid to ask a teacher about any concerns – most are very understanding.
4) Skipping class leaves you behind later down the line; better to just not skip at all.
5) Want to meet more people? Join a club or on-campus group!