We asked students about their worst freshmen mistakes
Learn from us
Rutgers is an incredibly special place. You’ll find countless hardworking students aiming for that 4.0 GPA while also drinking their weight in beer at a frat party. We’re proud and we aren’t afraid to admit how great Rutgers is because of our experiences with faculty and especially other students’ success.
However, through all our success, we all do start as freshmen who are lost little kids feeling strange without mama and papa there to guide us. We arrive at our dorms forgetting a toothbrush at home, unsure of how the buses work, scared about classes with only a midterm and a final, and uncomfortable having to call ma and to ask for an extra $400 to cover for textbooks.
We all had our moments of pure stupidity so I asked a couple of students to share their experiences:
Jacqueline Suazo, Sophomore, French Linguistics & Journalism
“I wanted to be productive and eat breakfast before my shift at work. My shift at Werblin was at 9 a.m. so I got breakfast takeout at 8:15 a.m. I was lazy and took the A from Busch Dining Hall. I didn’t realize how many students were getting on the bus (the smaller white bus), and I was pushed toward the back. Once we stopped at Werblin, I tried to get out but couldn’t and the driver didn’t hear me in time so I had to wait at the Rutgers Student Center for an H. I was on time for work, but had to scarf down my potatoes.”
Alyssa Santillan, Sophomore, Business
“I didn’t realize the REXL didn’t stop by the quads until I ended up at Cabaret Theater.”
Emily Giarratano, Senior, Social Work
“I wore a crop top to every party.”
Patrick Bell, 21, Senior, Communication
“At my first football game, I tried to get on a shuttle from Livingston, ended up on a Weekend 2, went across 3 different campuses and didn’t get to the game until halftime.”
Tatianna Amatruda, Senior, Journalism
“I once took the REXB to Douglass and then back to Busch because I didn’t know it wouldn’t stop at Biel Road. So I went from Busch to Douglass… TWICE!”
Kelsey Payano, Sophomore, Business Administration
“Once I walked into the wrong lecture hall and stayed for over half the class before I realized I was supposed to be in an art class, not math. I was so embarrassed to get up that I stayed the whole class. But at least I learned something new!”
Jessie Majano, Junior, Criminal Justice
“One time I was walking from Busch Campus Center to Allison Road Classrooms, which a senior had told me was only a couple of seconds away. But I had to poop real bad. So I started walking but when I realize that it was a more than just a couple of seconds away, I got so nervous that it started to come out. I didn’t know where to go so I just kept walking and as soon as I got to the bathroom in ARC I pulled my pants down and the poop dropped on the floor.”
Nathaly Santana, Senior, Nursing
“When I went to my first exam I got my period, like really bad. I didn’t have a tampon on me. So I finished my exam, which I failed, and walked out. I had to use my bag to cover my white shorts which were covered in blood.”
Ronnie Siguenza, Sophomore, Journalism
“I took the REXB to College Hall in Cook/Douglass, a campus which I knew NOTHING about, for an article for The Tab on places to have sex on campus. I walked in an unknown direction for a couple of minutes. Suddenly, I realized there was no more sidewalk, or buildings, or people. Just a street that cut through a forest. Scared of getting ran over, I chose to walk through the forest. I found a random, creepy guy playing the guitar who I ran away from. I stepped in poop. Somehow I ended up behind the Newell Apartments which were foreign to me. They creeped me out because they looked like the neighborhood from “The Cat in the Hat.” I just kept walking until I found my way out eventually.”