What It’s Like ... My First Week of College

Having attended a small boarding school for high school, Ava Bartolomucci ’28 was certain she wanted a small, personalized college experience where she could explore new interests, forge meaningful relationships, and discover the opportunities of a new location. Hear from Bartolomucci in her own words as she reflects on her first week at Rollins and how she’s more excited than ever to start the best four years of her life.

I’m originally from Leesburg, Virginia, and I chose to come to Rollins because of the small class sizes, beautiful campus, and welcoming community.

I was so excited to finally arrive on campus for Welcome Week, which started off with setting up my dorm room at Strong Hall. Student volunteers from the Residential Life & Explorations team helped unload my car and move all my stuff up to my room. It was a little overwhelming, but I was able to get to my room quickly because they knew where it was and came prepared with rolling carts. It made the process so much smoother. Then all that was left was unpacking and doing a few Target runs with my mom and two sisters, which really helped make the space feel like home.

After getting settled during move-in, the rest of the days mostly involved breakfast at the Campus Center with new friends, walks around campus and Park Avenue with my family, and lots of orientation activities that were planned around the various aspects of college life—things like game night on Mills Lawn, the New Kidz on the Block Party, meeting my peer mentors Olivia Fuller ’26 and Simon Preissman ’27, learning about the Nine Dimensions of Wellness, and doing arts and crafts, where I got to chat with members of my class while doing a fun activity together.

I also learned about the different kinds of opportunities to get involved on campus—things like the Rollins Players theater student organization. I actually got to attend a Rollins Improv Players (RIP) show, which was so fun and opened my eyes to the performing arts opportunities offered at Rollins, including plays, technical theater, and main-stage productions.

Then it was time to meet with my Rollins College Conference (RCC) class, which is a unique interactive seminar class based on a broad range of topics. Each first-year student participates in orientation activities with their assigned class during Welcome Week, and our RCC professor is our very first advisor on campus. My RCC class is Only in Florida with English professor Emily Russell—it dives deep into the history of Florida and different aspects of the Sunshine State. Professor Russell is so nice and welcoming and is a very good listener. She helps students when they have questions and encourages everyone to share something during class discussions in order to make it a more engaging and comfortable learning environment.

You can really tell people care at Rollins. In addition to the professors, it was great to learn more about all the support that is available for students, including accessibility, the Wellness Center, residential life, and student outreach centers and services. If I have any questions, I know people are there to help—everyone from my peer mentors and faculty advisor to staff members and my RA.

Another highlight of the week was SPARC Day, which brings together all new students for a day of service in the community. My group went to College Park Middle School, a Title I school nearby, and painted walls, cleaned and organized classrooms, and sorted items for the teachers. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the week. I loved helping the people of the community while bonding with my RCC classmates.

For the final activity of the week, we all came together for Candlewish, a special Rollins tradition where we’re each given a candle as we reflect on what we hope for during our time at Rollins. The Rollins motto is “Fiat Lux,” meaning “Let there be light,” so it was meaningful to participate in such a symbolic tradition.

No matter where the future leads, I know I'm not facing it alone. With incredible new friends and the unwavering support of Rollins faculty and staff, I feel truly supported as I embark on my college journey.

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