Red and white balloons, “Welcome home” signs and glossy nametags awaited the class of 2013 on September 15, 2009. Armed with new twin XL bedding, bath towels and other necessities, the incoming freshmen — accompanied by their nervous, yet excited parents — were greeted by the personalized whoops and cheers of enthusiastic Resident Assistants (RAs). For 1,692 students, the Stanford experience had begun.

“I remember that John Hennessy was there and I didn’t know who he was,” laughed Alexandra Dorda ‘13, a Eucalipto resident from Warsaw, Poland. “We shook hands. Now I realize he’s like a really big deal.”

On this same day of lugging heavy boxes and tearful goodbyes, the new freshmen were also faced with a nerve-racking introduction — coming face-to-face for the first time with a new roommate.

“I knew kids who were living in the same dorm as me who I met at Admit Weekend, so I was just hoping that it would work out,” said Anteneh Daniels ‘13, who lives in Ujamaa. “And then I met my roommate and he was a pretty cool guy. So I think that all of my fears were kind of put away within like fifteen minutes of moving in.”

Just as these new friendships began to flourish and the sights and sounds of a new home started to make sense, the fountain hopping and summer camp-like atmosphere of New Student Orientation abruptly faded into the sudden rigor of 10-week quarters — a marked shift in pace for many students.

“I think [the quarter system] is kind of crazy,” said Karen Shen ‘13, an Alondra resident. “I actually like it a lot because I get tired of my classes really easily. But then these next three weeks with midterms again and then dead week and then finals is kind of bad. There are definitely times where I’m just like, these people are insane.”

But it was not merely the speed of the quarter system that some freshmen had trouble adapting to academically. Others quickly realized that their classes at Stanford were more demanding and challenging than their high school courses, and were unfamiliar with the concept of a “B+”.

“I have had so many points where I have been about to break down because this is just way different for me and it’s so much work I guess,” said Monique Atkinson ‘13, who lives in Eucalipto. “High school seems so much easier now that I think about it.”

For the student-athlete, even more pressed for time than the average Stanford freshman, these academic challenges are even more pronounced.

“It’s difficult, but I manage to do it pretty well,” said Andy Brown ‘13, a member of the men’s basketball team and a Soto resident. “It’s just hard because we have set practice times every day. You just have to schedule and manage your time properly with homework and other classes.”

In conjunction with this accelerated schedule and a more challenging course load, many freshmen were faced with another situation completely foreign to them — they no longer shone in their classes and extracurricular activities with the same ease that they did in high school.

“The biggest challenge I faced was maintaining a sense of self-worth amidst a group of people who have already accomplished so much in their lives,” said Aditya Singh ‘13, another student living in Alondra who went to high school in Singapore, but calls India home. “Getting used to living the life of relative mediocrity after being a high-school star student for so long.”

Dean of Freshmen and Undergraduate Advising Julie Lythcott-Haims ‘89 has witnessed thousands of students dealing with these same struggles to adapt to life at Stanford. Her biggest piece of advice to freshmen is to actively seek out help when the going gets tough.

“If things start to get difficult, as they sometimes do, get some support from the innumerable resources around you,” said Julie Lythcott-Haims, Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising. “You aren’t meant to go through it alone, but you have to take the first step.”

For example, students may find solace in their supportive RAs and close-knit dorm communities.

“I love living in a freshman dorm,” said Junipero resident Robin Perani ‘13. “You always have a community . . . it’s a really good way to have kind of a base while you’re trying out all these other things because if things go wrong you can always come back to J-Ro, and if things go right, then everyone is really, really happy for you.”

Once this base has been established and all things Stanford flow more smoothly, social life begins to bloom and the first-years can begin to let their hair down. Many discover the perks of college independence and the new social scene that comes as a result.

“We live in a four-year dorm, and there aren’t very many people that go out on our floor,” Dorda said of her and roommate Atkinson. “So we’re kind of known as the party girls. We go over to East Campus a lot to hang out, [as well as] the frats. Most of our social life revolves around the other side of campus.”

For some, the abundance of new faces and activities can lead to unexpected flings. However, not all new connections are built to last.

“It’s relatively easier to get into a relationship with people because, I mean, there won’t be another time when we’re around so many singles of our own peer group at any other point in our lives,” Singh said. “But from my personal experience, it’s easy to get into a relationship, but not easy to get into a relationship with the right person.”

Others find security in long-distance connections with high school partners. Although the miles often prevail, those that maintain their relationships believe that the distance is healthy and beneficial.

“I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was, but I like it,” Shen said. “It’s actually really nice because I like having someone to talk to from home. It kind of keeps me grounded, and it doesn’t interfere too much.”

Between academics, social life and other commitments, freshmen may also find that their sleep schedules require major revision.

“I think first quarter it was hard to adapt to getting a lot less sleep,” said Kyle Anderson ‘13, a Trancos resident. “Just going from getting your seven, maybe eight hours a night in high school, and cutting that back to five or six on a regular basis took a little bit of adapting.”

Amid all the adjustments, freshmen also have highlights during the year, ranging from the dorm scavenger hunt in San Francisco to the Mausoleum Party on Halloween to — maybe — taking an Introductory Seminar. Others cited the small pleasures of everyday life at college.

“Getting thrown in the shower by my dorm was super awesome,” Perani said. “Playing games late at night and drinking tea and watching movies. Really, like anything — there are just so many fun things to do.”

And challenges aside, the freshmen expressed general pleasure with their lives on the Farm.

“I didn’t think I would like it here at all,” Dorda admitted. “But I am just so much happier here than anywhere else. Whenever I’m somewhere else I just want to come back.”