First days for four freshmen

Now that the fall semester has begun, freshmen on campus are just getting a taste of what college is really like, experiencing what all students must learn at one point or another.


The Oracle talked with four freshmen — Nestor Gamez, majoring in biomedical sciences, McKinzie Step, majoring in English, Sean Cleland, majoring in criminology and John Wilson, majoring in political science — about their impressions of campus life so far, and will continue to check in with them as they traverse their first semester as college students.


The Oracle: Why did you pick USF?
Step: It felt right. I got into UF, but USF was calling my name. I also couldn’t picture myself in blue and orange; I prefer the green and gold.

Gamez: It’s so diverse, and everyone seems to love it here. There’s so much energy.


O: What do you miss most about home?
Step: My cat and my friends. A lot of my friends don’t go here. I lived across from a high school, and I miss being able to pop in over there and see people.

Gamez: My mother and her home-cooked meals.

O: How many times have you gotten lost?
Step: Like, 50.

Wilson: A couple, to be honest. More so during the summer, especially trying to find my international relations class in Cooper Hall. I never heard of it before, but once I found that, the rest was pretty easy. I also had some trouble finding places to eat.

Gamez: The one time I got lost, I was on my way to my pre calc class and ended up going around in circles looking for the building.

O: What do you look forward to most about college?
Cleland: Definitely all the football games. It looks awesome.

Step: All the chances to meet people. I’ve already met so many people, and I know it’s just going to keep happening.


O: What’s your most memorable college experience so far?
Cleland: Losing my key. That blew. I dropped my key, and I still don’t know where it is. I didn’t have my roommate’s number, and I didn’t know where to go. I had to ask like a million different people where I could get a replacement, and then I had to pay for it.

Gamez: My day today, three back-to-back classes. I couldn’t find the class, the professor had a bad accent and I got to class late and there were no seats because there (were) like 400 kids, so I had to sit on the floor. I didn’t understand any of the notes — it looked like hieroglyphics.