New Student Resources
ward balcony


What Can You Expect as a First-Year Student?

So you're a new student at Rollins. You are probably expecting classes, exams, papers, projects, meeting new people, making new friends, and having a good time. Eventually, you expect to graduate. You know that Rollins has an excellent academic reputation, and you expect some hard work will be necessary to be successful here. You also know that there will be some partying, as there is at most other colleges and universities. You probably also realize that partying can be a social blessing and an academic curse. You will soon realize that this is an institution steeped in tradition. It is a place that will offer you such a wide range of academic and social opportunities that you won't have time to take advantage of all that is available. You will have to pick and choose, and thus your experience here will be, to great extent, what you make of it.

Get Involved!

Some sound advice given by a graduate student was: "Get involved. Take advantage of the opportunities offered in and out of class. Opportunities to learn about yourself, other people, other interests, other ideas, and an expanded world are available. Take advantage of them."   Beyond the classroom, you can expect to expand your day to day life skills. Doing your own laundry, grocery shopping, and everyday chores may seem mundane, but life can be pretty miserable if you don't learn how to manage them. There will be complex and difficult taks to master as well as the mundane ones. You will learn critical thinking, how to see more than one side of an issue, how to evaluate problems, and how to make and be responsible for your own decisions.

New Independence

Being on your own away from home is a big step. Parents, relatives and old friends won't be so readily available. You'll be doing a lot more for yourself. The people who cared about you at home won't suddenly just stop caring- but there will be adjustments to be made by both you and your folks. You may feel angry if your parents don't quickly and gracefully accept these changes in you. Try to be patient as you all adjust to the changes. Working with and negotiating these changes with your parents will preserve the peace and make your change more enjoyable. Knowing when to seek help is a sign of maturity. If you learn to speak up when you have problems, you will find people and resources here to help you. For example, most professors are quite approachable and want to have contact and assist you. Get better acquainted with the residence hall staff. They are skilled and are trained to help you. There are also a vast array of offices, programs and people in the Division of Student Affairs who are dedicated to assisting you. Use them!

Exploring Your Purpose! Exploring Your Place!

During your years here you will learn much about yourself. You will experiment with the way you want to look and behave, and the characteristics of your personality you wish to emphasize. During this time of personal exploration you may formulate a changed view of yourself. You will learn more about your interests and ways of integrating them with your career and life plans. It is also a time in which you will more fully develop your personal values and beliefs. Some of these may differ from those you have previously learned and may require that you work out some understandings with those back home. Whatever the degree of change you choose and experience, you can be certain that you are not the same person now that you will be at graduation.

New Friends and a New Home!

Rollins has a diverse student population. Your roommate may have a different religious, ethnic or cultural background than you do. You certainly will have classes with people whose life experiences have been very different from yours. You will be exposed to a wide range of personalities, beliefs, knowledge, and ideas. These will aid you in gaining greater appreciation for differences in people and thought. You may also become more aware of the role emotions play in your life; feelings may seem more intense than they have in the past. Some of your relationships will become more intimate. A major task of the undergraduate years is learning to manage your feelings and to express them appropriately. Again, this implies taking responsibility for controlling and accepting the consequences of your behavior.

 Visit the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) site.

Life at Rollins...

Starting with Parking

Limited parking is available on the Rollins campus, and all vehicles must be registered with the  Department of Campus Security. Parking decals are issued upon registration.

First Year Students will not be issued parking decals unless they:

  1. Commute to campus.
  2. Honors Degree Program Students.
  3. Hold permanent, part-time employment off campus and can show a financial and transportation necessity (documentation required.)
  4. Live with a parent or guardian off campus.

Off-campus parking is very limited and difficult to find.  All inquires about parking should be directed to the Campus Security at 407-646-2999.

And then there are your technology needs to attend to...

Rollins has moved rapidly into the information age. The entire campus, including every residence hall room, has been wired for the campus network (one connection per student), wireless Internet in all Residence Halls, and cable television (one connection per room). The computer network provides network-capable computers (generally Windows or Macintosh computers purchased in the last three years), access to the Rollins Web pages, e-mail and other features of the Internet with new functions being added all the time. Wireless network access is provided in all residence halls, major academic buildings, the Olin Library and Cornell Campus Center. An E-bar in the Campus Center facilitates e-mail and Web access on the run in both the Cornell Campus Center and the Alfond Sports Center. Laptops can be plugged in throughout the building, and on the patio overlooking the pool and Lake Virginia. Dave's DownUnder snack bar/performance space is wired as a Cyber Cafe‚ with network and power cables available for connections to laptop computers.

Information Technology offers both credit and non-credit seminars on the use of computer software and hardware. Software covered in non-credit classes includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, e-mail, Netscape and more. Credit-bearing courses (one quarter of regular course credit) include: Using the World Wide Web for Research, Digital Video, Creating Home Pages on the World Wide Web, Using Power Point and Computer Graphics for Presentations, Photoshop and Using Excel Spreadsheets Effectively.

For specific questions about technology at Rollins including how to purchase or rent computers, visit the Information Technology site.

You'll need to eat...

There are a number of places to get a great meal, grab a light snack, or satisfy a late night craving!

Cornell Campus Center

Rose Skillman Hall (upper level) and Dave’s DownUnder (lower level) feature the Marketplace, The Grille, and the C-store. The Marketplace features fresh meats and veggies, self-serve soup and salad bar, homestyle casseroles and daily ‘theme cuisine’ specialty bar, plus low-fat, low-cal, and vegetarian selections, a wide variety of beverages, and great desserts. The Grille serves specialty pizzas, burgers, chicken wings, hand-dipped Edy’s ice cream sundaes and milk shakes, plus French fries, chips and cookies, fountain and bottled beverages.

The C-Store is also located in Dave’s DownUnder, features convenient access to student’s most requested items:

  •     Frozen Yogurt
  •     Juices
  •     Bread
  •     Milk
  •     Frozen Food
  •     Soda
  •     Arizona Teas
  •     Coffee
  •     Popcorn
  •     Candy
  •     Chips
  •     Bottled Water
  •     Ice Cream
  •     Canned Goods
  •     Microwave Snacks
  •     Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Plus complete home replacement meals, and made-to-order sandwiches on fresh-baked white and whole-wheat rolls with a variety of meats, cheeses and fresh veggies. Sundries too: shampoos, toothpaste, soap, film, sunscreen, cough drops, aspirin, band-aids…and much, much more.

Domino's

Use your R-card Meal Plan Account to order from Domino’s pizza anytime after 5 p.m. weekdays and after 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Cornell Courtyard Café

Cornell Café, at the entrance to Cornell Social Science Building, offers on-the-go service: subs, sandwiches, soups, chili, salads, bagels, pastries, chips, juices, hot dogs, and gourmet pretzels.

Dianne's Café

Located in the Rice Family Bookstore, Dianne’s Café features Starbuck’s espresso and specialty coffees, granitas, panini sandwiches, Italian pastries and more in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.

Check out the Dining Services site for more information.

When you're ready to hit the gym...

The facilities on the Rollins College campus are available during the academic year on a priority basis for physical education, intercollegiate practice and contests, intramural activities, and special events. During the times allocated for recreation, currently enrolled Rollins students have priority, followed by faculty / staff, alumni, and authorized guests.

Facilities include: Harold & Ted Alfond Sports Center (performance gym, aerobics area, comprehensive weight training facilities), Alfond Boathouse, Alfond Swimming Pool, Alfond Stadium at Harper Shepard Field, Bert W. Martin Tennis Complex, Cahall-Sandspur Field at Barker Family Stadium, Tiedtke Tennis Complex, and U.T. Bradley Boathouse.

NCAA Sponsored Sports with the exception of Cheerleading, Rowing (men), Sailing, and Waterskiing . The NCAA requires registration and certification from the Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse in order to practice and compete as a first year students. See your high school guidance counselor for more information, or contact the NCAA directly (317-917-6222) to order your free College Bound Student Athlete brochure.

Tryouts For Varsity And Club Teams: Please notify the respective coach of the varsity team you wish to tryout for as early as possible. The varsity sports of volleyball and men's and women's soccer begin practice in early August. After the academic year begins, all other sports vary as to when they begin conditioning and practice. Coaches can be reached through the Athletic Department at 407-646-2366.

Schedules for Athletic Events: Schedules for all athletic events and intramural calendar are available on the Rollins Athletics website.

If you're feeling under the weather...even with all our beautiful weather...

Rollins College Health Services is housed in the DuBois Health Center located in the Urgent Care center on Fairbanks. The Center is open Monday through Friday and is staffed by two certified nurse practitioner and a board-certified physician. Services include, but are not limited to: acute care for illness, medical examinations, women's health care, immunizations, allergy injections, flu shots, and health and wellness education.