Name: Angie Russell

Email: amr73@pitt.edu

Hometown: Ijamsville, MD

Interests: Nutritious food, running, baking, watching Lost, volleyball, Pittsburgh Penguins hockey games, Spanish

Major: Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition

Year: Junior

Favorite Quote: "Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook, and a good digestion."-- Jean Jacques Rousseau

First week of classes: The first week of classes is always a little intimidating. Not only do you have to find where your classes are, but you have to meet the professor, your classmates, and find out the requirements that each class is going to have for the semester. I found it's a good idea to write down the exam and assignment schedule for the semester in the first week of classes so you can plan ahead for the semester.

Homesickness: I had never been away from my family for more than two weeks at once, so moving to another state and attending college where I was the only one from my high school was quite a change. I was very homesick and lonely the first couple weeks at college, but that quickly changed when I started putting myself out there. Other freshman are feeling the same way you are, so if you leave your dorm room door open, people are more likely to stop by and ask to hang out, and it's a quick way to make friends!

Choosing a Major: I came in as a Spanish major. I had taken 6 levels of Spanish in high school and always thought I was going to major in it and become a Spanish teacher. But once I got to college, I realized there were so many options and areas of study I had never even considered before. I took a variety of classes and volunteered at the hospital, and realized that nutrition was my calling. My advisor got me into all the classes I needed to fulfill the prerequisites to switch from Arts and Sciences to School of Health and Rehab Science, and now I am a Nutrition major!

PittStart: PittStart was an amazing experience. I had a fajita dinner with all the other incoming freshman and the Freshman Peer Counselors, and got a chance to ask the FPCs questions about college life that I was still skeptical about. After dinner, we ran through the pouring rain to hop on a bus to see free movies at Loew's movie theatre at the Waterfront. There, I met my now-roommate! PittStart calmed my nerves about going to college and got me that much more excited for the fall.

Where I study: I am one of those people that needs complete silence in order to soak everything in for a test. The first and ground floors of Hillman Library are always flooded with tons of people that I know, and I end up talking to them more than getting my work done. The best place for me to study is on the second floor behind all the book shelves where it is quiet and no one can find me or distract me.