20 Tips Every Freshman Must Know At Marist College
With decision day quickly approaching, incoming college freshmen are probably doing their last minute research before choosing the new college letters to go in their Instagram bios. Whether you’re already committed to the Class of 2022, or you’re still deciding if you want to join the Red Fox Family, here are 20 tips every freshman must know at Marist College.
1. Fill out the roommate survey honestly.
Unlike other schools, Marist does not allow freshman to pick or request their own roommates. There’s no need to comb through hundreds of Facebook posts trying to find your perfect roommate. Instead, you will fill out a short roommate survey during orientation to figure out who you will be living with for the next 9 months. Be sure to fill out the roommate survey honestly. Don’t say you’re super clean if you leave your stuff everywhere or say you’re a morning person if you don’t get up until noon on weekends.
2. Get involved to get priority points.
First semester it is super important to get involved on campus in order to gain priority points. Your housing options are based on the number of priority points you have, so be sure to join clubs, get good grades, don’t get in trouble, and do community service. Do all of these things and your future self will thank you. Go to the club fair at the beginning of the semester and sign up for any club that you think may be interesting. Then go to the first meetings for all of them and decide from there which clubs you want to stay in.
3. Make your four year plan and start thinking about going abroad.
About 50 percent of students at Marist study abroad during their college careers whether it be for a semester, or a few weeks with an attachment program. Studying abroad is a life changing experience. Marist makes it very easy with their sister campus in Florence, Italy and wide range of other study abroad destinations. During your first year, you should make your four year plan of the sequence of classes you will take, and you can factor studying abroad in too. Try and take advantage of the amazing opportunity to travel the world through Marist.
4. Go to events and try something new.
The Student Programming Council (SPC) is a club on campus that organizes events and activities every week including bingo nights, coffeehouses, and comedians. Try to go to some of these events to meet new people and just try something new.
5. Take advantage of the $25 Broadway trips.
About four times per semester, the SPC sells tickets to see various Broadway shows. It’s only $25 and includes transportation to and from NYC and the ticket. The trips are on Sundays and you get to the city a few hours before the show, so you can walk around and get lunch with your friends. It’s a great way to get off campus and try something new and it’s a great opportunity if you love Broadway and New York City.
6. Try out Rossi’s Deli and the new dining hall.
Another Marist food favorite is Rossi’s Deli, originally located in Poughkeepsie. This semester Marist opened a new dining hall on the north side of campus and Rossi’s is one of the vendors, so now it is even easier to get their popular sandwiches.
7. Go to Lola’s Cafe.
A popular food spot for Marist students is Lola’s Cafe, located right under the Walkway Over the Hudson. Jump in on the Marist trend for an Instagram worthy lunch.
8. Try out the other food options besides the main dining hall.
The main dining hall on campus isn’t bad by any means, but like with anything it’s easy to get tired of eating the same food all of the time. Other options you can try are the Cabaret in the student center, the Donnelly cafe located in Donnelly Hall, the Dyson Cafe located in Dyson Hall, and the Marketplace located in upperclassmen housing. There is also a Starbucks cafe located in Hancock and the library. These are great places to go when you want “real people food”.
 9. Know what a BOBO is at Campus Deli.
Another sandwich shop across the street is called Campus Deli and is a late night favorite. Marist students love their breakfast sandwiches at all hours of the day, especially the BOBO, a bacon, egg, cheese, and hash brown on a roll.
10. Make connections with the dining hall staff.
Marist has incredible staff in the dining hall and they are very friendly. Some favorites include Mama, who makes and memorizes students’ egg orders and Cheryl who is always talking with students and brightening everyone’s day. Take the time to say “hi” to the staff because it makes their day and they will remember you.
11. Take advantage of Taco/Cupcake Tuesday.
While there are lots of food options outside of the dining hall, be sure to take advantage of the freshman unlimited dining hall swipes on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday the dining hall serves tacos and ice your own cupcakes, which is a favorite among Marist College students. If you ask any Marist College student what their favorite day in the dining hall is it will definitely be Tuesday.
12. Leave your door open when you first move in.
Even though it’s super cliche, it really is a good idea to leave your door open when you’re in your room the first few weeks of college. It’s a good way to meet the people on your floor and sometimes people will just wander in and you can make new friends.
13. Go to the Walkway in the fall.
The Walkway Over the Hudson is a walking bridge that goes from Poughkeepsie across the Hudson to Highland. It’s so pretty to go in the fall when all of the leaves are changing and it’s walking distance from campus.
14. Live in Champagnat Hall
The best freshman dorm is by far Champagnat Hall. Nicknamed Champ, this dorm building is connected to the Student Center and the dining hall, making it the most convenient place to live. When it is raining or snowy and cold residents don’t need to bundle up to go to the dining hall. Also, most clubs meet later at night and they are generally in the Student Center. A ll you have to do is walk downstairs to go to a meeting and not have to leave the building. Champ is centrally located and the largest dorm building on campus. If you get the chance, definitely choose to live here.
15. Use the study rooms in the library.
The James A. Cannavino library is a great place to go to study, and there always seems to be people there. Study rooms are available to groups of 2 or more students for up to 3 hours at a time. They’re a great place to go with your friends to get work done. You just sign out a room using your Marist College ID and you get your own private room with your friends. Here you can still talk and listen to music while you get your work done.
16. Choose your laundry times carefully.
Sundays are just off limits when it comes to doing your laundry. Don’t even bother trying because every other person in the building will try to do their laundry on Sundays. Instead, choose a time during the day or on a Friday or Saturday night because the laundry room will be empty. Also, whatever you do don’t put tide pods in the laundry detergent drawer.
17. Take a lot of pictures.
This could apply to any college, but take lots of pictures to capture all of your memories at Marist College. Don’t only take photos when you’re dressed up and going out, but also just during your every day life with your friends. A great place to take photos during the holiday season is under the Marist Christmas Tree. The bright red and white lights make for very cute photos with friends.
18. Take advantage of all of the services Marist offers.
Marist College offers a ton of services to help students including free tutoring and the Writing Center. There’s a lot of other services and organizations listed on Marist’s website that are extremely helpful. No matter what issue you may have, there is probably someone in one of the services that can help you and all of the information is readily available.
19. Be sure to capture the Marist sunsets.
Going along with taking a lot of pictures, Marist is known for its beautiful sunsets, so be sure to take photos of them. Marist even has a hashtag on Instagram that you can look through for inspiration.
20. Go out and have fun!
Even if you don’t know all of these things, you will figure them out fast. Marist College is a great school and there are plenty of people to help you out if you need anything. Just remember to have fun and try new things because that’s what college is all about. Don’t just sit in your dorm, explore campus and even go off campus to adventure. You only get your freshman year once, so make the best of it and enjoy every moment.
