Over 6,000 students will move to the UA and call the residence halls home in the fall. For many of them, this might be the first time living away from home or having a roommate.

From Apache-Santa Cruz Residence Hall to Yuma Residence Hall, each of the 23 dorms has a different personality, like the all-female Maricopa Residence Hall or Navajo-Pinal Residence Hall, which is located inside Arizona Stadium.

Resident assistants, or RAs, in each hall help students transition from high school to college, and work to build a community within their hall. Here are a few tips from RAs around campus to help you have an enjoyable freshman year.

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Christina Harris, a public health sophomore, will begin her first year as an RA in Árbol de la Vida Residence Hall next semester. She lived in Árbol de la Vida as a freshman and is excited to return.

“Always leave your door open during the first few weeks so you can get to know people,” said Harris, who added that she can’t wait to get to know her residents.

Residence halls oftentimes have welcome events at the beginning of the year for new residents to meet each other. These events usually involve games and free food. It’s a great way to meet people in your dorm—people who might become your best friends.

Idrian Mollaneda, a political science junior, agreed with Harris.

“Go to a lot of the welcome events,” he said. “That’s how you meet friends. Go to your hall events too.”

Mollaneda, was an RA in Yuma this year and will be an RA in Árbol de la Vida in the fall.

Samantha Merchant, a nursing sophomore, will return for her second year as an RA in Yuma this fall. She advised freshmen to make the most of their first year at the UA.

“Time goes by really fast, so take advantage of every opportunity,” Merchant said. “College is going to be over before you know it, so get involved now.”

Clubs and organizations look for new members around the start of the school year. During the Club Fair, many clubs set up booths on the UA Mall to talk to anyone interested in joining. Most majors also have groups or professional organizations open to students.

College can be really fun, and it’s a great opportunity to meet all kinds of new people and go on crazy adventures. One example of this is the mysterious unicorn statue on campus.

“There’s a secret unicorn statue on campus,” Merchant said. “It’s your quest to find it.”

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