Christina Lynch summarizes her first semester experiences at the University of Florida. She found the new student orientation program called Preview to be extremely helpful in preparing for her first semester. Living in the residence hall Trusler Hall allowed her to make friends and get involved on campus. Some of her favorite spots on campus included Century Tower, the Reitz Union Amphitheater, and picnic areas near the Hub. Her course schedule this semester helped her explore potential majors. She participated in various campus traditions, events, and organizations to get involved in her first semester at UF.

1. First Year Florida
Digital Portfolio
My First Semester at University of Florida
By: Christina Lynch

2. Preparation for Gator Country:
PREVIEW!
Me at Preview! Our Preview group!
Preview helped me through my first semester here at UF
in many ways! The vast amount of information they
provided us has been extremely helpful, from the Guide
to majors to the Preview workbook to the F book of UF
traditions!

3. Moving onto Campus: My New Home!
Me and a hall-mate volunteering at the
Graham Area Council Halloween Dance
Outside of Trusler Hall Trusler Hall Leader Scholar Program passport
Living on campus in Trusler Hall
has been such a great experience!
I’ve made some great friends, and
learned how to live independently.
There are always fun activities in the
hall too, especially with the Leader Our hall had a Henna tattoo night! I got a
Scholars Program! butterfly on my ankle

4. The UF Campus: My Favorite Spots in the Swamp
Century Tower Reitz Union Amphitheater Picnic table on the water outside the Hub
The beauty and history of the UF campus was
what made me decide to come here! These are
some of my favorite spot on campus to stop,
smell the roses, and enjoy the natural beauty of..
the Swamp!

5. Classes!
My schedule this year has definitely helped me
define where I want to be, and where I don’t want
to be as far as majors. Having the option of being
“exploratory” has been so beneficial to my career at
UF also, being undecided about my major. Taking
calculus and chemistry was very stressful! Having
classes such as Anthropology, First Year Florida,
and Career Planning made my first semester
interesting, enjoyable, and informative!
My Textbooks

6. Faculty Interview
I interviewed Mrs. Jane Smith, my
professor for Calculus 1, for my
faculty interview assignment. It was
interesting to speak with a successful
math major, being interested in the
field myself! I felt much more
comfortable talking to her than I
expected, and we actually ended up
having a lot in common! It allowed
me to step out of my comfort zone,
and be gain very helpful advice from
someone with such prestige.
Me and Mrs. Jane Smith

7. Service Project:
Tacachale Developmental Disabilities Center
Snowcones
Volunteering at the Tacachale Center was an
amazing and inspiring experience! Being
able to bring the developmentally disabled a
little happiness and fun truly made my day!
I made snow-cones, and helped a woman
color a picture!
The outside of Tacachale

8. Diversity Project: JAMSA!
The JAMSA group
For the Diversity project, I attended the first
general body meeting of JAMSA, the
Jamaican American Student Association. It
was great to learn about the Jamaican
Culture, and they were very welcoming to
those of other cultures! They had a The JAMSA presentation
presentation about Jamaican current events,
then served Jamaican food! It was a unique
experience!

9. Fall Involvement Fair 2011
Me at the fall Involvement Fair
For the Fall Fair assignment, I attended the
Involvement Fair. It was amazing to see all of
the different student organizations! I never
knew there were so many! The Fall
Involvement Fair introduced me to
organizations such as the Catholic Gators,
JAMSA (Jamaican American Student
Organization), the Rotary Club, IRHA (Inter-
Residence Hall Associations, The English
Club, and more!

10. Advising
I met with Sara Mock, an advisor for the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She
helped me greatly in managing the stresses
of this semester, and planning for what
classes to take next semester! She also gave
me great advice on my major, and
influenced me to become “Exploratory”. I
definitely plan on visiting with her next
semester!
Me and Mrs. Sara Mock

11. Turlington Plaza
Turlington Plaza Flash Mob!
Hall-mates and I at Turlington Plaza
The famous Turlington Plaza
rock statue
Turlington Plaza booths
Turlington Hall, where two of my classes are held, is
one of the most interesting places on campus! Several
student organizations, from sororities and fraternities
gather to inform passers-by about their organization.
A rally supporting Palestine I saw
Businesses pass out fliers, and sometimes there are
in Turlington Plaza
even free food samples!

12. Food!
Orange and Brew
Satchel’s Pizza
Leonardo’s Pizza
There are so many great places to eat on and near the
UF campus! Everything is so delicious, sometimes it’s
hard to choose! These are some of my favorite places
to eat.Yummy! Pollo Tropical

13. Getting Involved
With over 900 organizations on campus,
theres no way NOT to find a way to get
involved with an organization you connect
with! These are some of the organizations
I’ve gotten involved with in my first
semester here at UF!

14. Sporting Events!
Inside the Swamp! Inside the O’Connell Center, a picture I took
before a volleyball game
Sporting events at UF are the most
energetic and high-spirited! You can’t
help but do the Gator Chomp, and sing
along with all the traditional cheers!
From basketball to football to soccer to
volleyball, every game is an adventure!
Outside of Ben Hill Griffin
Stadium, the Swamp itself!

15. Gator Nights!
Spray Paint Art: Mountains at Night
My Gator Nights wristband Tie-died shutter shades!
The most eventful night of the week at UF? Friday night’s Gator Nights!
There are so many fun events, there’s hardly enough time! From putting
your name on a street-sign to tie-died shutter shades to making your own
beach ball to spray paint art, Gator Nights is a great way to have fun and
make new friends!

16. All You Need Is A Gator 1!
Outside the Southwest Recreation Center
Outside George A Smathers Library West
One of the best things about being at UF is that
there are hundreds of activities on campus that are
available for free to students! All of the state of the
art recreational facilities and sporting facilities,
libraries, tutoring centers, computer tech support,
Lake Wauberg, are all free for tuition paying
students! In my first semester so far, I’ve been to
two volleyball games, one soccer game, the Broward
Teaching Center, the Hub, and the swimming
pools!
My Gator 1 Card!

17. My Favorite Things About UF
The beauty of the campus buildings and
environment.
The vast number of resources available
(Career Resource Center, Hub, Study
Abroad, Broward Teaching Center, etc.)
UF entrance sign!
The rich history and traditions of the
university and its students.
The prestige and natural intelligence of
the students.
The large amount and diversity of
majors available to students.
Century Tower at sunset

18. Traditions!
Bull Gator Statue George A. Smathers
Library East
Century Tower
Hare Krishna Lunch
Here are some pictures of the UF
traditions I’ve done in my first semester
here at UF!

19. Traditions Continued!
Reading
The Alligator
Albert Murphree’s Shoe
Plaza of the Americas
Here are some
more pictures of
UF Traditions I’ve
done in my first
semester!
Turlington Plaza
French Fries

20. Plans For My 2nd Semester as a
Gator
So far, my plans for next semester include taking less
demanding classes that suit more to my interests. Being
an exploratory major, I would like to try a different area
of classes, such as education, psychology, or wildlife
issues instead of calculus or chemistry. I definitely plan
on getting more involved in volunteering and clubs/
organizations. I would like to get more involved in the
Catholic Gators, and volunteer for the No More Homeless
Pets Spay/Neuter Clinic. I also plan to use campus
resources such as the Southwest Recreation Center to
develop a regular exercise routine, and attend a yoga
class for stress relief. I would like to do even more UF
traditions, such as attending a football game and go to
the Museum of Natural History. Hopefully my second
semester will bring just as many great experiences,
opportunities, and life-long memories as my first
semester has!

21. Advice to Future Freshmen
Do NOT become discouraged, even if you are stressed from lack of
sleep, struggling in class, or illness.
Learn to become organized with your homework, papers, and dates
of important events. Planners are extremely helpful!
Do activities you enjoy, such as reading, exercising, sports, or a yoga
class to relieve stress.
Create and keep healthy habits, especially when it comes to
maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Procrastination is the worst thing you can do! Make sure to use your
time wisely, and complete all assignments in a timely manner!
Get involved with clubs and organizations! There is sure to be at
least one club on campus that catches your interests!

22. Most Importantly...
GO GATORS!
Before a volleyball game
At Preview