The Emmanuel Community
What is Something You Wish You Knew Day One?
We asked current students for one thing they wish they knew on their first day as an Emmanuel student.
“Everything is going to be okay. College can be a stressful time for many, and your mind is racing on millions of things. My advice is to do what you love, and with the great community that is Emmanuel everything will align together.” – Jonathan Marmolejos ’23
“Nothing has to be permanent! It is possible, and likely, that you will change your major, meet tons of people every day, or even just change up your path, and that is all okay!” – Keaton Bergeron ’22
“It’s okay to not have a major right away! I came in undecided because I had interests in many different things and couldn’t pick yet. Meeting with academic advisors, and taking general requirements or a few major classes you’re interested in helps a lot. Just because everyone else you know has something picked out doesn’t mean you have to push yourself to like something and it all will come to you! Have fun and explore things.” – Emily Borges ’23
“Now that I have three years at EC under my belt, I wish I had allowed myself to be okay with messing up and to fully immerse myself in my new environment. It can be really easy to want to compare your current situation to what you’ve been comfortable with for a while; but the sooner you learn that you can build lasting memories and connections at Emmanuel, the better your experience will be! Nothing is going to be perfect, but soon you’ll find your place—that goes for every stage of your life.” – Fee Cabral ’21
“My advice would be that it’s OK to not be OK. Freshman year is really scary—you’re leaving people that you’ve been with for four years, leaving home and learning about yourself. But, it’s also a time where you can learn what you like and who you are. Just know that it definitely gets better. Get involved, get out of your comfort zone, take classes maybe you wouldn’t have taken! You’ll look back on your year fondly!” – Meaghan MacDonald ’22
“I wish I had allowed myself to follow what I was truly passionate about from day number one! I was so afraid to make the wrong decision in terms of a major that I started out in a discipline of study that just didn’t work for me. Once I let go and decided to pursue what I love doing most, everything else fell into place, and I found a second home among those with the same major and faculty members in that department.” – Caitlin Amorin ’20
“It’s okay to ask questions! Although they may seem unnecessary, there are probably a lot of other students wondering the same thing! Emmanuel is your new home, so asking as many questions as you need to feel comfortable is the best thing you can do!” – Hannah Davis ’22
“My advice would be to find things to be involved in that YOU are passionate or curious about because that’s where you’ll start to find your people. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find a huge friend group right away, because your people will come together when you least expect.” – Mary-Kate Harper ’20
“My advice is don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Get involved in things that pique your interest, talk to people you’re drawn to, and be engaged in class! Having a good connection with the people around you will make your experience so much better, and a little trial and error doesn’t hurt. If you find you’re not enjoying something or someone as much as you thought, it’s okay to take a step back!” – Serena Mora ’23
“I wish I knew to leave time for myself. Being involved in many things from the jump did not allow for me to have free time. It’s amazing to get involved on campus, but also reserve time for yourself and your studies.” – Vanessa Rene ’23
“My best advice would be to be open to new opportunities, join clubs and become involved ASAP! Becoming actively involved on campus is not only a way to meet friends with a shared common interest, but it makes the transition to Emmanuel fun. There is always a program or event happening on campus or in the Greater Boston area, whether it’s during the week or over a long weekend.” – Colleen Flanagan ’22
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! As a freshman, everyone is looking for friends, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to do so. Within the first week or two of my freshman year, I went to the Wings Over Boston event by myself, and ended up running into a girl from my orientation group. Now, she’s my best friend here on campus, and I don’t know if I would have reconnected with her if I didn’t decide to just go to the event by myself!” – Julia Sena ’23
“One thing I wish I knew was that I wasn’t going to know everything first semester! I came into my freshman year absolutely freaking out because I didn’t know how things worked on campus. Now I look back and think, ‘Well of course! I’m completely new to the community.’ Over time, I was able to use different resources like my academic advisors and RAs, and now I am at a point where I feel comfortable and open to learning even more about the campus over these next couple years.” – Abigail Gutierrez ’23
“Although it may seem like you won’t find a friend group that you can connect with, those relationships come with time. The social situation and living style can be overwhelming at first. It took me a while to realize that I would not be able to automatically be friends with people and that it would take time for me to find the group of people that I would call my best friends. However, over time acquaintances developed into best friends and those friends are still the people I can go to for anything.” – Maeve Grattan ’23
“Don’t worry about finding a friend group, it will come eventually, and you will meet some great people. The beginning is overwhelming, and it just takes time to settle into this new situation. Don’t worry yourself too much about finding people, just be involved, join clubs, and go to events and you will be sure to meet some amazing friends!” – Jaden Cove ’23
The Emmanuel Community
What is Something You Wish You Knew Day One?
We asked current students for one thing they wish they knew on their first day as an Emmanuel student.
“Everything is going to be okay. College can be a stressful time for many, and your mind is racing on millions of things. My advice is to do what you love, and with the great community that is Emmanuel everything will align together.” – Jonathan Marmolejos ’23
“Nothing has to be permanent! It is possible, and likely, that you will change your major, meet tons of people every day, or even just change up your path, and that is all okay!” – Keaton Bergeron ’22
“It’s okay to not have a major right away! I came in undecided because I had interests in many different things and couldn’t pick yet. Meeting with academic advisors, and taking general requirements or a few major classes you’re interested in helps a lot. Just because everyone else you know has something picked out doesn’t mean you have to push yourself to like something and it all will come to you! Have fun and explore things.” – Emily Borges ’23
“Now that I have three years at EC under my belt, I wish I had allowed myself to be okay with messing up and to fully immerse myself in my new environment. It can be really easy to want to compare your current situation to what you’ve been comfortable with for a while; but the sooner you learn that you can build lasting memories and connections at Emmanuel, the better your experience will be! Nothing is going to be perfect, but soon you’ll find your place—that goes for every stage of your life.” – Fee Cabral ’21
“My advice would be that it’s OK to not be OK. Freshman year is really scary—you’re leaving people that you’ve been with for four years, leaving home and learning about yourself. But, it’s also a time where you can learn what you like and who you are. Just know that it definitely gets better. Get involved, get out of your comfort zone, take classes maybe you wouldn’t have taken! You’ll look back on your year fondly!” – Meaghan MacDonald ’22
“I wish I had allowed myself to follow what I was truly passionate about from day number one! I was so afraid to make the wrong decision in terms of a major that I started out in a discipline of study that just didn’t work for me. Once I let go and decided to pursue what I love doing most, everything else fell into place, and I found a second home among those with the same major and faculty members in that department.” – Caitlin Amorin ’20
“It’s okay to ask questions! Although they may seem unnecessary, there are probably a lot of other students wondering the same thing! Emmanuel is your new home, so asking as many questions as you need to feel comfortable is the best thing you can do!” – Hannah Davis ’22
“My advice would be to find things to be involved in that YOU are passionate or curious about because that’s where you’ll start to find your people. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find a huge friend group right away, because your people will come together when you least expect.” – Mary-Kate Harper ’20
“My advice is don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Get involved in things that pique your interest, talk to people you’re drawn to, and be engaged in class! Having a good connection with the people around you will make your experience so much better, and a little trial and error doesn’t hurt. If you find you’re not enjoying something or someone as much as you thought, it’s okay to take a step back!” – Serena Mora ’23
“I wish I knew to leave time for myself. Being involved in many things from the jump did not allow for me to have free time. It’s amazing to get involved on campus, but also reserve time for yourself and your studies.” – Vanessa Rene ’23
“My best advice would be to be open to new opportunities, join clubs and become involved ASAP! Becoming actively involved on campus is not only a way to meet friends with a shared common interest, but it makes the transition to Emmanuel fun. There is always a program or event happening on campus or in the Greater Boston area, whether it’s during the week or over a long weekend.” – Colleen Flanagan ’22
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! As a freshman, everyone is looking for friends, so don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to do so. Within the first week or two of my freshman year, I went to the Wings Over Boston event by myself, and ended up running into a girl from my orientation group. Now, she’s my best friend here on campus, and I don’t know if I would have reconnected with her if I didn’t decide to just go to the event by myself!” – Julia Sena ’23
“One thing I wish I knew was that I wasn’t going to know everything first semester! I came into my freshman year absolutely freaking out because I didn’t know how things worked on campus. Now I look back and think, ‘Well of course! I’m completely new to the community.’ Over time, I was able to use different resources like my academic advisors and RAs, and now I am at a point where I feel comfortable and open to learning even more about the campus over these next couple years.” – Abigail Gutierrez ’23
“Although it may seem like you won’t find a friend group that you can connect with, those relationships come with time. The social situation and living style can be overwhelming at first. It took me a while to realize that I would not be able to automatically be friends with people and that it would take time for me to find the group of people that I would call my best friends. However, over time acquaintances developed into best friends and those friends are still the people I can go to for anything.” – Maeve Grattan ’23
“Don’t worry about finding a friend group, it will come eventually, and you will meet some great people. The beginning is overwhelming, and it just takes time to settle into this new situation. Don’t worry yourself too much about finding people, just be involved, join clubs, and go to events and you will be sure to meet some amazing friends!” – Jaden Cove ’23