Familiarizing yourself with a new place can take quite a bit of time. And, feeling lost can feel unsettling and can even make you miss the familiarity of home.

So how can you make the newness less scary and more of an adventure? Here are a few tips:
  • Find places you need to go ahead of time. Not sure where Campbell Hall is but have an 8 am class there? Getting to class on your first day is exciting but can turn into panic if you get turned around on the way there. Go check out where your class is going to be held and also check out what is around it....you might just find that there is a cool tree to sit under or a coffee cart nearby.
 
  • Give yourself extra time. Imagine this: you're running late to class, you’re sweaty, out of breath, and you open the doors to your first lecture hall only to see a couple hundred students already in their seats. You will eventually find your pace and rhythm, but to make your day feel less hectic, give yourself some extra time to get to your destination. When you are in a rush you will likely feel rushed...not a great way to start.
 
  • Grab your roommate or others on your hall and check out some of the main spots on campus and in IV. UCen, SRB, top of the library, Campus Point, Freebirds, Starbucks. You can even make it into a scavenger hunt to make a game of it. What spots are your favorites? 
@MHPeers Helping You Tackle Freshman Year:
First day of being a freshman like… #whereamI #gevirtzorgirvetz #ucsb2021 #classof2021
@MentalHealthPeers Helping You Tackle Freshman Year: That’s a lot of bikes. #Maybei’llwalk #firstyears #ucsb2021 #classof2021