I was kind of nervous to do this blog post, because I thought I would have a difficult time choosing only 10 things about Rutgers that would help first-year students get acquainted with the University. However, after a lot of thought, I was able to narrow down my choices. Below are ten different resources on campus that I believe first-year students MUST know to feel confident getting around campus and feel connected and engaged to the Rutgers Community. There is no particular order!
Rutgers Bus System
The most useful way for students to get around the University is through the bus system. The Rutgers bus system allows students to get between the different campuses easily and efficiently. To be a successful Rutgers student, one must be comfortable with the buses. It is important that students know how to get between different campuses for classes and to experience what other campuses have to offer. First years might find the bus system intimidating, but it is easy to understand, and very quick! There are bus stops throughout every campus, so you will never have to walk far to get to where you want to go!
For more information about the Rutgers Bus System, click here.
Krieger Learning Center / Record's Hall
I believe that it is important that students utilize every resource that is available to them. I took a picture of the Krieger Learning Center as well as Records Hall, a computer lab on College Avenue. The Krieger Center is a tutoring center where students can go to for academic help. At all of the Learning Centers at Rutgers, the tutors are University students, faculty, and professional staff that provide academic support for FREE. The students can make sure to reach for help if it is needed, or if they feel academically able, they can go out to apply for tutoring jobs, as well. Record's Hall is in the picture to show students the University has a lot of places to study and get work done. On every campus, there are a number of places where students can study including computer centers and quiet lounges. The academic experience at Rutgers can get stressful, but as long as students reach out to find the many resources and places of support, they will be sure to succeed!
For more information about the Learning Centers, click here.
For more information about the Computing Services, click here.
Center for Latino Arts and Culture
The picture of The Center for Latino Arts and Culture is to represent the wonderful diversity present at the University, and it is very easy to be immersed in such different cultures at any time. The Center for Latino Arts and Culture is just one of the departments focused around a single ethnicity and the culture surrounding it. If students identify strongly with their ethnicity, I believe that they should get involved in the many cultural groups that Rutgers offers. I know that being Middle Eastern is something I strongly identify as, so I have been to many Middle Eastern Clubs to get my face known to the community. The Center for Latino Arts and Culture puts together many events that offer academic and extracurricular opportunities to discover the Latin culture and history at Rutgers University and around the world. By simply walking in, students will be greeted by a wonderful staff that will gladly welcome them to the center and make their experience great! I encourage all students to go and see how easily it is to get involved.
For more information about the CLAC, click here.
The Dining Halls
Every student should know where to eat, and luckily, they do not have to go far to get food. On each campus, there is an amazing dining hall that provides buffet-style dining for a single meal swipe. I took a picture of Brower on College Avenue, because it is my favorite one. Each dining hall also provides take out meals, so if students are in a rush between classes and do not have time to sit down, they can swipe for a packaged meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! I think that all students should be aware of all of the Dining Halls offered to them, because if they have a meal plan, they have access to SO MUCH delicious foods and they won't have to spend any extra cash. Transitioning into college, students have to learn to have healthy eating habits, and as long as they are eating at the University's Dining Halls, they can choose whatever food they want to eat to ensure a healthy lifestyle.
For more information about Food Services, click here.
The Student Centers
For students to get the most out of the different campuses, they must feel confident in finding and navigating to each of the campus and student centers. In each center, not only are there stores for students to buy necessary items, but there are also restaurants, as well as venues to many events. For example, each campus center has a Multi-Purpose Room that organizations can use to hold events. You can find out about these events at the main reception desk at the entrance of every student center.
For more information about the Student Centers, click here.
Rutgers Recreation
As an employee of Rutgers Recreation, I know all about the different opportunities present in the department. Not only are there many recreational activities including, intramural sports, fitness classes, and personal training, but there are also many leadership opportunities within Recreation. Students can sign up to be team captains for intramural teams and they can apply for an on-campus job within Recreation. I have been a fitness assistant for over a year, and I absolutely love the job! Staying physically fit is a great stress reliever for many students and as students are transitioning into Rutgers, they should make use of the many facilities and services that Recreation offers.
For more information about recreation, click here.
Residence Halls
Feeling safe and comfortable at school is the most important thing students need, and I believe that all starts in the Residence Hall they are living in. For many students, this will be their first time ever living on their own, and they will have a lot of independence. Residence Halls help in transition from living at home to living all on your own. Each building has a Residence Life Staff of Resident Assistants, who are student leaders who provide support to the students for whatever they may need. Residence Halls also provide students ways to get involved through Hall Government. Rutgers's Hall Government, known as the Residence Hall Association, or RHA for short, is a very popular organization on campus and allows all student participation. I know many Orientation Leaders have been involved in Hall Government, as well!
For more information about Residence Life, click here.
New Brunswick
To get the most out of Rutgers, I think that students should become familiar with the wonderful city in which it is found. New Brunswick is a very lively city that is the center of nightlife and great food. The picture is a picture I took of the hospital to represent the resources that can be found in New Brunswick. Students are lucky enough to have restaurants, public transportation into the city, hospitals, and many fun hang out spots all within ten minutes of each other. Many times, students choose Rutgers because of its proximity to such a great city. Students can feel engaged in the New Brunswick Community by taking advantage and visiting the great places and stores within the city.
For more information about New Brunswick, click here.
University Libraries
For students to truly feel like they know the University, they must make use of the Library Services at Rutgers. Each campus has multiple libraries that provide students with endless resources for their academics or for their personal knowledge. Library Services has so much to offer and if there is something that University does not have, students can even borrow books and multimedia from other schools through the Inter-loan Library System. First-year students should be aware of what the library services offer because it will make their first year on campus so much easier!
For more information on Library Services, click here.
Rutgers Deans
I took a photo of Bishop House to represent the important resource that many students often fail to reach out to - University Deans. The Deans at the University are the people who have the most knowledge of Rutgers, and the best part is, any student can meet with them to pick their brains about anything! By setting up a simple meeting, students can meet with academic deans, deans of students, or departmental deans. Many times, the confusion that is involved with starting college can be cleared up by speaking with the deans, who, if they cannot answer your question, will lead you to people who will! Once students feel like they can navigate around campus and find their deans, their experience here at Rutgers can be a lot smoother!
The List of Deans and their numbers can be found in the student directory.
I know that other students will have other things to put in their photo collage, but I feel that these ten places give students a wide range of places and resources that will make their transition into Rutgers easier and more enjoyable. It was actually really nice reflecting on the different places I love to go to, because it reminded of how much the school offers me. I hope first-year students can look at this blog post and feel more comfortable navigating around the campus and becoming more involved!
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