for college students by college students

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the best experience possible. And remember, you should
be studying and working hard, but know that your
future is what you make of it, so if you don’t like some-
thing, don’t suffer through it for four years.

9. Go to the first Shabbat
dinner of the semester.

Whether your school has a Hillel, Chabad, Jewish
Studies department or local synagogue, odds are that
the other Jewish students on campus will all congregate
at Shabbat dinner. This is a great way to meet other
students, reconnect with friends and experience Jewish
community while away from home. Most Shabbat din-
ners are free to students and are welcoming of everyone,
so if you’re nervous to go alone, bring a friend! One of
my favorite parts of working for Hillel at MSU is getting
to welcome students back to campus during our first
Shabbat dinner. We pack our dining room full of stu-
dents and have a great time eating delicious food and
getting to see everyone. A simple online search should
help you find a Shabbat dinner on your campus.

8. Explore a new part
of campus during week 1.

Even if you’ve been on campus for three years, take your
first week back during fall semester to eat in a new dining
hall or go find a hidden courtyard that you’ve never been
to before. For freshmen, take week one to familiarize
yourself with campus, the different areas that your class-
es will be in and where campus resources like a health
center or tutor services are. I hereby give you permission
to use Google Maps on your phone to help you navigate
campus AND I can tell you that if you ask students walk-
ing near you for directions, they’ll be excited to help you
find the building you’re looking for.

7. Start thinking about your
Rosh 2k18 plans.

The High Holidays fall really early this year and that can
be stressful if you’re trying to figure out when you’ll fit
in Tashlich between your classes. Start thinking about
whether you’ll want to go home for services or if you
will need to stay at school for classes or homework.
If you do choose to miss classes, get in contact with
your professor as early as you can and talk about this
absence. If you need help, contact a Jewish resource
on campus and they can assist you. Some of those
resources (Hillel, Jewish Studies departments, etc.) will
even have a premade letter written for you to give right
to your professor that explains the holidays. If you can’t
go home, there are many options for you to attend a ser-
vice or go to a dinner for the holidays while at school.
Don’t worry, your matzah ball soup needs will be met if
you stay on campus.

6. To rush or not to rush?

A common interest that many freshmen and sopho-
mores have is whether or not to join a fraternity or
sorority. Recruitment for these Greek Life organizations
start quickly after school begins, so it’s important to
think about whether you want to pursue joining before
you move to campus. Many students love being a part
of Greek Life and many also have wonderful college
experiences without being involved in a fraternity or
sorority. I chose to be more involved in organizations
like student government, the Jewish Student Union and
Homecoming Court, but my sister joined a sorority and
we both had/are having amazing experiences at school.
It’s completely up to you.

How To Find Your
Campus Hillel

The Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan serves
Jewish students at 10 universities and college
across the state. This includes Alma College,
Albion College, Central Michigan University,
Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley
State University, Kalamazoo College, Michigan
Technological University, Northern Michigan
University, Saginaw Valley State University and
Western Michigan University. To learn more
about Jewish life at these campuses, visit
h-cam.net, call (517) 332-1916 or email
hillelcam@gmail.com.
Hillel of Metro Detroit serves Jewish students
at Lawrence Technological University, Oakland
Community College, Oakland University,
University of Detroit Mercy, University
of Michigan Dearborn and Wayne State
University. For more information or to learn
more, visit hillel-detroit.org, call (313) 577-3459
or email hillel@wayne.edu.
Michigan State University Hillel serves stu-
dents at MSU in East Lansing. To learn more,
visit msuhillel.org, call (517) 332-1916 or send
Nate an email at nate@msuhillel.org.
University of Michigan Hillel serves students
at U-M in Ann Arbor. To learn more, visit
michiganhillel.org, call (734) 769-0500 or email
michiganhillel@umich.edu.

To rush or not to rush … don’t rush to the decision;
it’s completely up to you.

5. Respond to emails and FB messages.

Get in the habit of checking your school email at least
once per day. Your professors, RA, student organiza-
tions and other university-affiliated people will email
you with important info and opportunities that you
shouldn’t miss out on. I’d suggest putting your school
email on your phone so you can check it easily. Also,
remember to check your Facebook messages every
once in a while. I use Facebook messages to reach out

MSU students enjoying a fun night of
competition at the Ryan Rosman Memorial
Student Broomball Tournament: (top) Jordan
Hankin; San Diego, Calif.; Hunter Moore,
Scarsdale, N.Y.; Max Labe, Huntington Woods;
Miles Moon, Birmingham; and Eric Wertheim,
Suffern, N.Y.; (bottom) Lynn Hanna, Chicago;
Max Vinocur, New York City; and Delaney
Backonen, West Bloomfield.

to new students all the time, and while some respond, a
lot do not. When someone reaches out, even if you are
not interested in the opportunity they’re offering you,
always respond. In college, communication is a major
key to success, so start your year off on the right foot
and build this important habit.

4. Yalla! Let’s do Birthright Israel!

Believe it or not, college is a great time to go on Birthright
Israel! Not only can you find a trip specific to your cam-
pus (hello new friends and amazing Instagram pics with
your school flag all over Israel), but you can also go on a
trip during a school break when you don’t have to worry
about homework or a job. Most campus Birthright Israel
trips leave after finals in December or May, and some will
even leave in August before school starts. I didn’t go on
a campus trip when I went on Birthright, and it might
be one of my biggest regrets in college. I had a great
time, but there’s something so special about having a big
group of new friends when you come back to campus. To
find out more about your campus’ trip, go on Birthright
Israel’s website and see what dates are open for your
campus. Additionally, let me know if you’re looking for a
campus trip, and I’d be happy to help set you up with the
right experience. But don’t worry, if college isn’t the right
time for you to go on Birthright, the Jewish Federation
offers Detroit community trips geared for young adults
ages 22 to 26. So all-in-all, you have a ton of options to get
a great Israel travel experience.

3. Develop a routine for your week.

With classes, meetings, studying and finding time to eat
and sleep, your life in college can get hectic. Consider
creating a routine that includes everything you need to
do on a weekly basis. Include all your classes, time to go
to the gym and any weekly meetings you attend, as this
will help you find the best time to study, a steady and

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August 23 • 2018

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