Making Meaningful Connections at RIT as an Out-of-State Student

Coming to a new state, and a new area, and not knowing anyone, I was a little scared. I was worried about being alone and isolated, which was a fear shared by many of my peers. At RIT, there is such an emphasis on connection and peership that is irreplaceable. 

For incoming students, there is a week-long orientation full of events to get to know your cohort, community, and the campus, and it was incredibly welcoming and heartwarming. Some of my closest friends are from my orientation group, and as a more introverted person, having a group I could do activities with and interact with helped me a lot.

From that same orientation group are your RIT First-Year Connection classmates, so it’s almost like you have connection-making built into your schedule. Moreover, we have a ton of campus events, not only within the first week but throughout the whole semester. If you want to cosplay, make books, learn more about self-care, or even just play games with others, there is an event for you somewhere on campus. It’s a good kind of overwhelming, so many clubs and organizations to browse and choose from. A canon event for all incoming students is to attend the club fair and go to all the stalls and sign up for everything– even if you don’t commit to all of them! 

Having this community at RIT made me less homesick and feel like the campus was my home. I was encouraged to talk to everyone, attend all the events, talk with my classmates, and be myself! I felt so supported, and when you love the people you’re learning with, even the most boring subject can be fun. So yes, taking the first step is scary, but RIT makes it so you can take those baby steps and grow into your own and find the community right for you.