First-Year Experience

Kathryn Jones • Aug 19, 2019 •9:54 am

Roommates Guide to Staying Alive

Sharing a living space is something that all of us have done before. But when it comes to residence halls, your living space is just one room instead of a whole house or apartment, and that one room is now shared with a person you most likely have never met. Moving is always a difficult process,...

Caitlin Joyce • Aug 12, 2019 •10:01 am

My Favorite Spots on Campus

As I prepare to enter my final fall semester at Arcadia, I’m feeling nostalgic toward specific locations on campus that hold special meaning to me. I’ve always been a creature of habit—I like consistency in my surroundings and get attached to the spaces I frequently visit. Since it’s always a...

Nicholas Schiavo • Aug 9, 2019 •9:42 am

Home Is Where You Make It

When you leave home for college or to study abroad, you leave a lot behind. And when you come back, the things you left might not be the same. While these may seem like reasons to be apprehensive about moving away or going abroad, I am going to try my best to clear your doubts so the only...

Heidi Specht • Aug 8, 2019 •10:41 am

Arcadia Dining, On and Off Campus

I’ll admit it—the most important part of college, for me and many others, is the food. You eat at least three times a day, not including the 8 a.m. coffees, late-night studying snacks, and protein bars in between classes. What you eat and where you’re eating are essential to having a good college...

Jessica Derr • Jul 31, 2019 •4:19 pm

Katniss in the Classroom: My FYS Experience

The Thanksgiving break of my freshman year of college was my first time going home since moving to school. Even though my hometown is a measly 15 minutes away from campus, I was now immersed in two entirely different spheres—my life at Arcadia and my life back in Willow Grove. Suffice to say, my...

Lashanna Bryant • Jul 31, 2019 •1:43 pm

How to Succeed in Class (While Really Trying)

When I was in high school, I always felt the need to be perfect. I overwhelmed myself with my school work so much that I wasn’t even learning anything anymore—just getting things done. As you may already know, that defeats the point. When I started college, I still wanted to be good at...

Heidi Specht • Jun 25, 2019 •2:40 pm

8 Things No One Tells You About Move-In Week

The summer before freshman year pretty much looks the same for everyone who’s heading off to college: going to what seems like hundreds of grad parties, saying goodbye to high school friends, and spending hours dorm-shopping at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Even though you have three months to...

Caitlin Joyce • Jun 25, 2019 •2:17 pm

Finding My Family at Arcadia

The concept of “found family” is something that has always struck a chord in me in movies or books. From Lilo meeting Stitch, or Harry meeting Ron and Hermione, there’s something about friendship evolving into a small but supportive mini-family that leaves me misty-eyed. This idea is especially...

Jessica Derr • Jun 25, 2019 •10:57 am

As Much As You Put In

I have never put much weight in the occult. To me, graveyard walks are a pleasant way to spend an evening. Ouija boards are not the earpiece of the dead, but a tool to push my cousins’ buttons. And The Long Island Medium, one of my mother’s favorite shows, does little more than make me roll my eyes...

Kathryn Jones • Jun 21, 2019 •10:52 am

New Place, Same You

Going to college is a big decision in and of itself, but when you decide to go to an out-of-state university, the decision might seem even more daunting. Depending on what your background is (Are you originally from a big city? Have you moved to a new place before?), a big move to Arcadia’s campus...

Nicholas Schiavo • Jun 19, 2019 •9:55 am

Nick’s Declassified FYSAE Survival Guide

So, you decided to study abroad. First off, I can assure you that no matter how nervous or excited you are, you made the right choice (I mean, it is a “global” college after all). If you’re reading this, you probably want to know exactly what you just got yourself into. If you’re on the fence...

Lashanna Bryant • Jun 17, 2019 •10:13 am

Welcome to Arcadia

Starting college can be intimidating. It is an entirely new experience, granting you more independence and responsibility—more than you probably had before. If you’re anything like me, a first-generation college student, you may not have background knowledge of what the college experience is...