It is said that there are only a few particularly major, life-altering decisions in life.

Deciding on a college and a major is almost unanimously agreed upon as such a dramatic decision.

Often, the college search process begins several months to a year prior to a decision being made as many factors are taken into consideration when selecting where to spend the next several years of life.

All this deliberation and decision making eventually pays off, however, culminating in the first taste of independent life —the freshman experience.

We hear countless words of wisdom and advice, warnings and well wishes as we head off to college freshman year.

There’s the heads-up of the infamous freshman 15 or horror stories of terrible roommates, or on the other hand countless opportunities to prepare for the future and the chance to make friendships that last a lifetime.

Needless to say, freshman year of college is filled with pomp and a healthy dose of hype.

Will I get along with my roommate?

Will I build relationships with peers and professors?

Will the food be good?

Will I struggle in my classes?

These questions and more are things that just about every freshman asks themselves as they cross through the gates at Mercyhurst University.

These apprehensions, however, are certainly not unique to one individual freshman regardless of the institution they attend.

The freshman experience at Mercyhurst thus far has been both smooth and exciting.

Fortunately, Mercyhurst is able to provide answers and reassurances to many of these most common worries at a much faster rate than a larger, more spread-out institution would likely be able to.

From the first day of meals in Grotto Commons, where the food is discovered to be surprisingly quite good, we find that we already have at least one person who can call us by name and converse with us about how our day is going or how campus life is.

As most read this, just about everyone has probably already thought of Rhonda.

From there, we are reassured to find a close-knit classroom setting with professors who genuinely seem to care for you and your success and would not hesitate to offer help.

Unlike at a larger university, where most students are simply an identification number in a large lecture hall, it is comforting to be called by name in the classroom and be able to recognize and know your classmates.

The freshman experience is certainly something that no two people will experience in the same way.

Some take longer to adjust, while others seem to convert to this new lifestyle flawlessly.

Whatever the case, the freshman student of Mercyhurst University easily discovers that they have a lot going for them with a tremendous amount of positives and support to help them discover that Hurst is Home.