UChicago Incoming 2021 First Years

Posted on by Allison Kallo · 3 Comments

I just read this article about how many freshman students are feeling “Exhausted but Optimistic,” which got me wondering about how UChicago first years may be feeling. I also wonder how the rising 2nd years are doing since their first year at UChicago was so different.

Here’s the article, Exhausted but Optimistic: a Portrait of This Year’s Incoming Freshmen, if you are interested in reading.

I wonder, have you heard of any additional resources that may be available to rising first and second years at The College?

Is there anything that we should consider offering that could help their transition to being in person and on campus?

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3 responses

  1. It’s interesting — and both nerve-wracking and happy-making — to see the findings this article has reported so far. On the whole, this piece makes me remember something it can be easy to forget when working and interacting with undergraduate students: that those who are fresh arrivals on the campus have *just* left high school! It might sound obvious or tautological, but I find that I wind up considering many more factors and possible implications of instructional and design choices whenever I remember students in this light. There’s quite a bit to dig into on this front as regards social and emotional development and connections, widely varying background experiences and culture shock (something I remember as the hallmark of my first year of college!), and very different instructional modalities new undergraduate students have navigated over the past twenty months.

  2. Sarah, I completely agree. Remembering that many of the undergraduate students are coming in fresh from high school, and a very unusual high school experience in 2020 and 2021, reminds me to be patient, empathetic, and kind. There is quite a culture shock just moving to a new environment, but during a pandemic and with all the uncertainty and shifting rules, I can imagine being overwhelmed.

    I’ll try to keep this in mind not just for our new students, but for our rising 2nd years who, although they have been on campus, may not know it well since their classes have mostly been remote.

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