Have you ever wondered what college life is actually like? Maybe you are a senior in the Class of 2025 and are unsure of what your time will be like once you finally leave the nest, or maybe you are just an underclassman trying to think ahead about your future. No matter your age, we have some insider information straight from the AMHS Class of 2024 that will answer all of your questions. We interviewed some of last year’s alumni by asking them a series of five questions:

1. Describe your first month at college in one word and why.
2. What is your first impression of your college’s campus life and social activities?
3. How is your college workload compared to what you were used to at AMHS?
4. How would you rate your housing at your college?
5. How has your on-campus dining experience been?

And this is what they said: 

Charlie Zaifert at Tulane University:

1. Charlie says that the first month was very overwhelming. At Tulane University, there is a full week of orientation before the classes start that are full of mandatory programming events. Having these “every second of every day” was a lot but she did find it helpful to have a set routine to begin her college experience. Another thing is that “feral freshmen are real,” so there’s a reason it’s one of the top party schools in the US! 
2. She describes her campus as very active, always having a “function” whether it is University-related or not. In general, the campus life at Tulane seems pretty great with lots of useful resources and even free workout classes. Also, the social life is great, living up to its reputation of being a very fun school.
3. At Tulane, the workload seems to be less than Magnet, so far. Charlie says that she has more free time, so she has more time to get work done, which might be why she feels like there is less work. She also adds that it depends on what major you are and how many classes you are taking. 
4. Housing allegedly is not the best at Tulane… There is random placement and only ⅖ of the dorms are considered to be “nice ones.” She describes her room as “kinda aesthetic” because of the big windows (just as long as you don’t look too closely at the dust and mold you might find!). The communal bathrooms aren’t too bad because it’s part of the classic college experience, and she rates her housing an overall 7/10.
5. Although New Orleans is known for having great food, Charlie says that Tulane doesn’t quite match that. It is overall mid, but she adds every once in a while the commons food will “hit.” At Tulane, there is one main dining hall on campus, but there is also a food court. Charlie also let us in on a little secret: the Green Wave Grille, a spot where the athletes eat, but is also open to everyone and tends to be a step above the commons. 

James King at the University of South Carolina:

1. James chose the word “freedom” to describe his first few weeks at college. He says his schedule is pretty much based on him and he enjoys having a little bit more flexibility, compared to when he was at Magnet, stuck in the year-long block system. 
2. The University of South Carolina takes a lot of walking. He does note that he prefers walking here compared to high school though, so it’s considered a pro. Also, the social activities are “whatever you want it to be.” Playing basketball, joining clubs, knocking on random people’s dorms, and introducing yourself are all fun activities James has participated in so far. 
3. The workload James is facing is “A LOT less.” While he didn’t elaborate beyond this, it can be assumed that due to his more adaptable schedule, he might be taking fewer classes than he was in high school. 
4. James has been in luck with his housing, rating it a nine out of ten and calling it “very fortunate.” 
5. On-campus dining at the University of South Carolina is “surprisingly really good,” with tons of options to choose from. There are also so many restaurants in the area as well in case he wants to go out for other food that isn’t just from the school.

Charlotte Halford at the University of Virginia:

1. Charlotte chose the word “active.” At UVA, she’s been trying to do everything and not say no to any opportunities, while also trying to acclimate to new classes and a new schedule, which has left little time for rest. But, she says, “it has been really fun.”
2. Charlotte says that at UVA there are so many opportunities to get involved, but it can sometimes be very overwhelming. She thinks that with time she will be able to find clubs and social activities that she is really interested in and wants to be involved in.
3. At UVA, her workload is more than she expected. She said that there is a lot of reading, which is different from high school. Also, in college, she has to learn almost all of the material outside of class, and class is just there to reinforce the larger concepts. 
4. She says that housing at UVA is a 9/10. It’s very nice but is not necessarily special or anything interesting. 
5. According to Charlotte, the dining experience at UVA is “pretty mid.” But, she says that it’s better than she expected from how people had talked about it. She says that there are quite a few different options available and that there is something for everyone. 

Nate Markin at Auburn University:

1. Nate describes his first month in one word as “first,” very original! Everything he’s doing is new, from going out at night to the difference in the college classes. Through good and bad, he’s experiencing so many new things that he considers firsts. 
2. Auburn is unique in that it has something called the First 56, which is a program that has activities for the first 56 days of class available to the freshman. Nate hasn’t been yet because there is so much else to do on and off campus, but I’d assume the events are pretty fun!
3. The workload so far has been a breeze for Nate, saying that Magnet had more homework, but at least it prepared him for college. This does not apply to English, because apparently there has been an extreme amount of English work. 
4. Nate is fortunate enough to get lucky with his housing. He lives in what’s essentially an apartment but it’s still done through campus housing. It includes a pool, gym, and rooftop access as amenities. The only catch is that he shares it with four other guys, “so it gets kinda messy.”
5. Although he only gets five meal swipes, Nate says that he gets lunch almost every day at a spot called The Edge on-campus, noting that it exceeded his expectations for college food but is still not the best he’s ever tasted. With his apartment, he is able to cook as well if he doesn’t want to go to a restaurant.

Grace Reuben at Cornell University:

1. Grace’s first few weeks at Cornell can best be described as “exciting.” She has been having lots of fun exploring a new place and meeting so many interesting people from all over the country and the rest of the world.
2. Life on campus at Cornell is very vibrant, with most people usually staying on campus due to its rural location and lack of other, nearby places to go. This creates a strong community among its students. When she does go off campus, Grace and her friends like to go to restaurants in Collegetown and Ithaca Commons or go hiking. 
3. At Cornell, the workload is around the same as the one at AMHS, maybe a little heavier. In general, there is a lot more textbook reading to do and fewer assignments.
4. Grace says that the housing at Cornell receives a 6/10. She says that it is tolerable. Although there are some really nice new dorms to live in, Grace got stuck with one of the older buildings, so we can see why Cornell would receive this rating.
5. Overall, Grace’s dining hall experience sounds very interesting. During the first two weeks of her time there, the dining hall workers were on strike and would only serve rice, chicken, and tofu, which she said was terrible. Now that this strike is over, Grace thinks that the food lives up to its reputation and tastes like she is eating at a restaurant.