Stepping onto campus for the first time as a Case Western Reserve University student is exciting as you consider your future, what knowledge you will gain here and who you will form friendships with along the way.
But there are plenty of uncertainties, too. Even the most basic everyday activities—such as grabbing a bite to eat or doing your laundry—will look different from your life at home. To help you find your footing, The Daily teamed up with this year’s orientation leaders to hear their advice on what new Spartans should know. Each day this week, we’ll share some of their tips to help you feel more prepared as classes start next week.
Today’s advice focuses on roommates, laundry best practices and dining options.
Advice responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Eva Levine
- Major(s): Biology and Environmental Studies
- Year: Fourth year
- Eva’s advice: Coordinate with your roommate when you’ll be in the room so both of you can feel like you get alone time but can also hang out and be friendly to ensure that you’re on the same page.
Suchita Rajan
- Major: Cognitive Science
- Year: Fourth year
- Suchita’s advice: Don’t just get to know your roommate but also your floormates. They can become your best friends, so get to know everyone.
Jordan Clark
- Major(s): Biology and Environmental Science
- Year: Fourth year
- Jordan’s advice: Please take your laundry out of the dryer when it’s finished because everybody needs to use the same machines and it’s just the best way to get along in communal living.
Lisa O’ Brien
- Major(s): Theater and International Studies
- Year: Third year
- Lisa’s advice: I would suggest if you have any breaks between classes and find yourself back at the dorm and other people are having classes, it’s a good time to do your laundry because there’s not that many washers and dryers, but I promise you will get it done. It just takes some patience.
Alex Hager
- Major: Biochemistry with a Spanish minor
- Year: Second year
- Alex’s advice: The meal plan varies based on how many swipes you have, but I think every plan has a certain amount of portable swipes—some of which apply to Tomlinson Hall in the quad. They have really good options like Subway, Local Taco and sushi and have specific hours. One tip: if you want to order on Grubhub, have your order ready and once the clock hits 1 p.m., press order because they’re going to get like 100 orders, and with luck, you’ll be in the top 10.
Dienye Banigo
- Major(s): Chemical Biology and Pre-Medicine
- Year: Fourth year
- Dienye’s advice: If you love Italian food, Little Italy is like a two-second walk from [campus]. It’s very homey, they have cool cobblestone pathways and the restaurants are close to each other.
Discover meal plans, on-campus locations and more food offerings on the Dining Services website.