5 Things I Learned In My First Week
1. DePaul is global
DePaul gives me the opportunity to meet, learn, and explore perspectives from people with diverse backgrounds. The very first person I met at orientation was Clair from China. We taught each other a few words in our languages. That small exchange made me feel connected at DePaul and I thought to myself ‘I can make this place home’. Later, I also got the chance to hold my country’s flag at the Welcome Celebration, which reminded me that even far from home I can still celebrate where I come from and represent my culture at DePaul.
2. Chicago is your campus
The Driehaus Business School is in the Loop campus. I am an entrepreneurship major which is why I have to take most of my classes there. It is the best part of my DePaul experience. It offers me so much more than just taking classes. It gives me the chance to explore downtown’s architecture, history, the Riverwalk, the Chicago Theatre and so much more. In my first week of class, I walked past the Chicago Theatre, visited the the Bean and took in the skyline from the Riverwalk. Having the city right outside the classroom makes everyday feel like a new adventure.
3. Friendships Happen Everywhere
Finding people where you fit in and feel comfortable is hard especially when just starting out. What I learned is that keeping yourself open and being the first one to approach and plan hangouts helps in building connections. This first week I planned to grab coffee at Starbucks and that casual coffee run was the start of a friendship that grew through exploring Chicago together.
4. Navigating the CTA
Figuring out Chicago’s CTA was like a class of its own. Imagine already getting late to your first BUS 101 class and getting on the wrong bus becomes the cherry on top. Yeah I missed my first business class which was the worst because I just missed the entire first introduction. It felt like the worst at the time but it taught me to plan ahead of time, laugh off mistakes and remember that everyone gets lost once in a while.
5. Socializing through DeHub
In my first week I downloaded DeHub’s app on my phone and it just gave me an open door to get into anything. I was surprised by how many opportunities popped up. I was amazed by how many opportunities appeared, with over 300 organizations from sports clubs to service projects. Through DeHub, I even signed up for my first involvement fair and quickly had a list of clubs to explore. If you’re new to DePaul, signing up for DeHub can be the first step towards getting involved and making the most of campus life.
