Before, during, and after O-Week, you will get to know and interact with a number of students and adults who will assist you throughout your transition to Rice. Many such individuals have put in a great deal of extra time to ensure that your experience at Rice is both memorable and successful. Among these students, three act as the foundation upon which your O-Week is built. Each college has three O-Week Coordinators, chosen to oversee the preparation and execution of O-Week for their college as well as collaborating with other colleges on larger, campus-wide events. These three Coordinators, selected in November, have spent the last eight months, meeting online and spending part of their summers in Houston, planning your first week at Rice. From choosing the theme and the mission, to interviewing and selecting the Advising team, to rooming New Students, creating a schedule and writing these O-Week books, all 33 Coordinators on campus have dedicated unquantifiable effort for you, the Rice Matriculating Class of 2021. In addition to your Advisors, the O-Week Coordinators are available to answer any questions you may have about O-Week and transitioning to Rice. After O-Week they will continue to be a resource you can reach out to for anything big or small and will continue to support you in anyway they can.
Alison Maniace | Bavan Rajan | Stella Potemkin
Hello and welcome to Martel, the Best College Ever!
First, I want to say that I am so excited that you chose Rice! You should be so proud of all your academic and personal accomplishments (and your excellent taste in universities), but most of all, I want to congratulate you on making this transition. No matter if you come from the Houston area or internationally, starting something new takes bravery. As intimidating as beginning this new chapter may be, we hope that you are comforted knowing that you are surrounded by people who cannot wait to get to know you and watch you make your own mark on Martel.
As we have been preparing for your arrival for months, I am very excited to talk to you in person, but until then, here is a little about myself. I am a rising junior originally from Columbus, Ohio. I am currently a Bioengineering major on the pre-med track trying to create my own interdisciplinary major combining my interests in engineering and ethics (even two years in you don’t have to have everything figured out!) Here at Rice, I am involved in STRIVE (Students Transforming Rice into a Violence Free Environment) as a student liaison, Martel Student Government as a Junior Class Representative, and Bioengineering research at the Bioscience Research Collaborative! My favorite memories at Rice have been spent baking in the Martel kitchen, playing board games late into the night, eating lunch with my suitemates at Brochstein Pavilion, and enjoying music and good weather at Martel’s Friday in the Quad events. If you ever want to order food from Velvet Taco, join me on a long walk around campus, or just to talk, please let me know! I cannot stress enough how excited I am to welcome you to Martel. Martel truly is my family and I feel beyond lucky to be a part of this community of students who I love and admire.
Finally, here are some reminders that I hope you will keep in mind as you begin your journey at Rice. Don’t compare yourself to others; everyone at Rice has started in different places and has different paths. Take time to celebrate yourself and your wins, no matter how small. Never quit something that you are passionate about because you are scared of being inadequate. Pursue what you care deeply about and don’t stop unless you find something that makes you even more excited.
No matter where you go and what you do, there will be times when you feel you don’t belong or that you won’t be able to succeed. Rice is no different, and as long as you continue to challenge yourself, you will face this feeling. What makes Rice and Martel in particular so special is you will never have to experience this alone. No matter what you are going through, you are surrounded by people who support you and want you to succeed. The best advice I can give you is to not be afraid to ask for their help. You will be surprised to find how many people around you feel the same as you. Open your heart to the wonderful people of Martel! We are so happy to be part of your journey here at Rice!
Love,
Alison
Hello New Martelian!
CONGRATULATIONS on being admitted to and selecting Rice University! This is no easy achievement, and your hard work to this point has not gone unnoticed. While transitioning to college is not always easy, whether socially, emotionally, or academically, I hope you are able to access the tools you need to thrive at Rice, and most importantly at your new home, Martel. The entire advising team, myself included, is working to ensure that this is the case, and my personal goal for this O-Week is to ensure every incoming student feels as if they have a support network. I appreciate YOU for coming to college after what has likely been one of the most difficult years of your life. I am excited to meet you and see where your time at Rice takes you!
Since I know a little about you from your form, I want to introduce myself. My name is Bavan and I’m from Pasadena, California. I’m a rising Junior majoring in Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Science, and hoping to get a minor in Museums & Cultural Heritage. I am considering going to graduate school and maybe becoming a natural science museum curator. When I am not doing planetary science research or studying, which is probably more often than it should be, you might find me playing board games in a Martel study room or playing basketball at the Rec. I am almost always walking around campus with headphones on, listening to Brockhampton or Mac Miller, but I always have one ear open so say hello if you see me!
And now, for the part that you are likely sick of at this point: the unsolicited advice. I will preface this by saying that what works for one person may not work for another, whether for study strategies or how they find friends. However, this uniqueness brings me to my big piece of advice. Everyone that arrives at Rice comes with their own strengths and their own issues that they do not share openly. Always remember that while your situation may be unique, everyone has a situation that they deal with and you are not alone. While it can be difficult to reach out to others to discuss your fears and struggles, I sincerely hope you do so. O-Week should give you a variety of people to vent to or ask for help, but remember that there are plenty across campus (other students, professors, and more) who are willing to listen and are ready to understand your circumstances.
The thought of managing the numerous opportunities, your personal health, and your degree might already leave you feeling exhausted and panicked. I certainly felt this way entering college, and still do at times. However, thanks to Rice’s resources, my new family at Martel, and the O-Week that pointed me to them, I now know that there are people I can go to to feel encouraged and prepared. My hope is that as you progress through O-Week and your first semester, you begin to find the same. I cannot wait to see your face as you pull into the breezeway at Martel!
Sincerely,
Bavan
Hi there!
I want to start by congratulating you on being admitted and deciding to attend Rice! I know this last year has been challenging in so many unexpected ways, but you persevered, finished high school during a global pandemic, and are now transitioning to a new chapter of your life, all of which you should be incredibly proud of.
We are beyond excited that you’re joining the Martel family! Martel, which just so happens to be the best college ever (if you don’t believe me google it), is so much more than just a building that you’ll live in during your time at Rice: it is a vibrant community and support system. You undoubtedly bring something new and unique to Martel from your background to your hobbies and passions. I’m so excited to see our family grow and evolve because of you!
I’ve gotten to know you a little bit through various forms you’ve filled out and wanted to share a little bit about myself so I’m not a complete stranger when you move in. I grew up in Durango, Colorado which is a pretty small town so moving to Houston was an eye opening experience for me. At Rice, I’ve been able to explore lots of different passions and have finally settled on majoring in Social Policy Analysis and Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Science. Outside of classes, I am a manager for Rice Coffeehouse and am a Junior Class Representative for Martel. If I’m not drinking an oat milk latte at Coffeehouse, you can likely find me roller skating around campus, tending to my many plants, or watching Survivor with my friends (if you want someone to watch the upcoming season with, I’m your gal).
As you get ready for O-Week there are a couple things I wish people had told me before I stepped foot on campus for the first time. First of all, you deserve to be here. Sometimes when you are surrounded by high achieving, passionate, interesting people, it’s easy to compare yourself and feel out of place, but that feeling never accurately reflects the situation. Trust me, the people who look the most put together also feel incompetent and struggle. During the times when college is hard, it can be difficult to take a step back and remember that you belong here, but you do. Us coordinators, the advisors, and your peers are always here to remind you that you deserve to be here. Lastly, take time to have fun. Of course we are all here to get an education that will prepare us for future careers, but that does not mean there isn’t room for fun. Don’t be afraid to go on spur of the moment late night Whataburger runs, watch a movie with your friends, or go to a public because those are the memories that you’ll look back on the most fondly!
I cannot wait to meet you in August and get to know you during the rest of your time at Rice!
Martel Brings You Memories,
Stella