Resources for Your First-Year
Living on Campus
Housing
Our four-year residency requirement means students are required to live in F&M-owned or -approved housing for all four years. Your first-year student will live in their College House. They will receive their College House and roommate assignment the summer before they arrive on campus.
Contact Housing
If you need to get in touch with your student鈥檚 College House, you can reach out to the assigned faculty mentor (don) and administrative facilitator (dean). If you have questions about F&M housing in general, you can explore our FAQ to learn more or reach out to our housing team at housing@fandm.edu for additional help.
Dining
Great food, honest values, and a comfortable atmosphere can be found in every F&M campus dining location 鈥� all conveniently located within walking distance of on-campus housing, labs, and classrooms!
Meal Plans
First-year students are required to purchase a meal plan unless they are commuting (though students can of course purchase a meal plan if they are!). Meal plan pricing is automatically folded into your student's tuition details.
四虎影院
Academic Advising
Your first-year student is at a crossroads moment of their life. This might be the first time they鈥檙e living away from home, and processing this first step toward adulthood can be complex. In addition, they鈥檒l be adjusting to F&M, learning about the College's resources and networks, and determining how to build the right education for them.
Your first-year鈥檚 faculty adviser will support them in assimilating to F&M, guided by a series of first-year milestones that will set them up for success. We value that each student has a diverse set of goals and experiences, so we expect that faculty advisers will adapt this guide to meet your first-year鈥檚 individual needs.
Conversations your first-year should be having with their faculty adviser:
- How are you adjusting to college life?
- How are you building and improving your academic skills? What support resources on campus can you take advantage of?
- What challenges did you face this year? What went particularly well? What can you learn from the challenges as well as from the triumphs?
- Which classes sparked your interest the most? Can you see pursuing another course in the same subject next year?
- What kinds of leadership positions at the College can you imagine yourself in?
- What kinds of programs/clubs/leadership opportunities would you want to create for yourself at the College if you could?
Center for Career and Professional Development
Beginning early in their F&M experience, our Center for Career and Professional Development will guide your first-year in designing a portfolio of experiences that will help them discover and focus their talents, interests, and post-graduate aspirations. Students at other institutions typically don鈥檛 begin this self-reflection on the path after college until the spring of their senior year.
Our signature programs for your first-year student include:
- 鈥淎uthentic Success & Possibility in Reach for Every Student (ASPIRE)鈥� 鈥� a first-year program designed to set your student up for success early at F&M
- 鈥淯nderstanding and Leveraging Your Strengths and Preferences鈥� workshop
- Career exploration, leadership, and mentorship
- F&M鈥檚 True Blue Network, a career network platform exclusive to our community
Your Student鈥檚 Career Center Adviser
If they haven鈥檛 done so already, encourage your student to reach out to their Career Center adviser. Your student鈥檚 primary Career Center adviser is assigned to them based on their College House. Their adviser will work with them one-on-one to help build a trajectory of success. They will help your first-year student explore their career options by talking through strengths, passions, and goals; work with them to develop a customized goal-oriented plan; help them discover and land professional development experiences; perfect their application materials and social media brand; and more.
What to Expect During Your Student鈥檚 First Year
A student鈥檚 first year at college will include many successes, as well as some new challenges. Some of these new experiences may include:
-
- Sadness: Mild sadness as a student adjusts to a new life in a new place is normal
- Anxiety: College is not easy; there will be moments when a student feels overwhelmed and anxious
- Erratic Eating Patterns: It is not uncommon for a student to miss or skip meals as they adjust to a new schedule and lifestyle
- Decrease in Academic Performance: College academics can be rigorous; it is not abnormal for a student who previously received all As to experience a drop in grades at the college level
- Struggles with Identity: It is developmentally appropriate for students to shift and develop their identity as they figure out where they fit in
- Mood Swings: Students often experience a broad array of emotions during this year of transition
- Interpersonal Issues: Issues with roommates and College House neighbors will occur as students get used to living in close proximity to new people from different backgrounds
Most college students successfully overcome the challenges during their first year on campus. In fact, these challenges can be beneficial. They help develop resilience, coping methods, and problem-solving skills for the coming years. However, if a student is struggling at F&M, there is help.
When to Be Concerned
It is important to be aware of red flags that signal something more serious may be happening. These warnings signs can include:
- Changes to physical appearance, including weight loss or gain, and neglected hygiene.
- Atypical levels of tearfulness, panic reactions, irritability, or apathy
- Feelings of anxiety that disrupt daily functioning
- Challenges with falling asleep, staying asleep, and oversleeping.
- Expressions of deep sadness or hopelessness
- Self-injurious behaviors
- Suicidal remarks, thoughts, or actions
- Academic distress, as evidenced by declining academic performance, frequent tardiness, and ongoing absences.
- Persistent concerns with body image that impacts daily functioning
- Anger, aggression, or hostility toward others
- Withdrawing from friends or family members
- Concerning posts on social media that indicate distress
- Significant changes in mood
How to Get Help
DipCares
If you鈥檙e concerned about your student or someone else, you can make a report through
. The DipCares program allows anyone who is concerned about a student 鈥� including F&M
employees, family members, roommates, and more 鈥� to make reports. Once a report is
received, DipCares will reach out to the student and offer support as deemed appropriate.
NOTE: If you are worried about the immediate safety of a student/self, please call
911 or F&M鈥檚 Department of Public Safety at 717-358-3939.
Additional Helpful Contacts
- College House Deans
- Student Wellness Center
- Department of Public Safety
- Office of Student Affairs: 717-358-4000
Do you have any questions? We're happy to help. Feel free to reach out to us at families@fandm.edu or visit our contact page.looking for more resources?
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