A Freshman's Guide to Success

What to Expect Your First Year at Ferris State

Welcome home to all our new Bulldogs! Your first year as a college student at Ferris State will be a time of growth, exploring new opportunities, and learning. To help you navigate this new chapter in life, check out our essential college tips and insider info about what you can expect here including study tips for incoming freshmen, resident hall information, and a look inside the dining hall food options. 

• Embrace Campus Life: Ferris State provides a lively campus where you can make the most out of your college experience. We encourage you to get involved right away your freshman year. You can join student organizations and clubs, attend campus events, meet new people, and have fun. We want incoming college freshmen to jump right in and try new things! 
• Study Tips for College: The demands of schoolwork in college can have quite the adjustment period. Remember to stay organized and stay on top of your assignments. Take advantage of Ferris State's resources like the tutoring center and your academic advisors. There are also study groups! Don't forget to live a life away from your schoolwork, though. It's important to take breaks and relax! 
• Self-care: Make sure you seek out support when you need it and reduce stress. Ferris State values your well-being and wants to support you every step of the way. The Personal Counseling Center is on campus, and appointments are free to all students. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to faculty and staff. You are not alone! 

When choosing a residence hall, it's important to find one that works for you and fits your needs. We hope to make Ferris State as much of a home away from home as possible. There are a handful of residence halls to choose from at Ferris. Each offers their own amenities like computer labs, workout rooms, and a movie theater. And once you're here, make your dorm room your home away from home!

Read more about the residence halls

Ferris State offers a variety of food options around campus. Whether you want a meal, snack, or a coffee, you will be able to find something that hits the spot!  Here is a quick breakdown of the dining locations that are part of your meal plan on campus:  

• The Rock Café:  Our biggest and most popular dining hall on campus! You will definitely find your favorite meal at the Rock. We have plenty to choose from including fresh ingredients and made-to-order preparation, like the Mongolian Grill!  
• The Quad Café: All-you-care-to-eat dining experience with many or stations. Each station offers a wide variety of foods such as brick oven pizza, deli sandwiches, salad bar, burgers, breakfast, Mexican and Asian cuisine, fresh fruits, and a bakery with sweet treats.
• Erbert & Gerbert's: Located in the Interdisciplinary Resource Center (IRC), grab your favorite sandwich or soup on the go! 
• The Market: On-campus convenience store offering everything from grab n' go snacks and drinks to school supplies, health and beauty items, and medicine. 
• Starbucks: Stop by the Starbucks in the David L. Eisler Center (DEC) and get your morning or midday pick-me-up! Our Starbucks location offers a full their full menu and you may run into President Pink there too!  
  If you are wondering what each campus dining hall’s menu is, you can find that too! The Quad and The Rock Cafe each post and display their daily menu to help you figure out your meals for the day.  

For more detailed information visit our dining homepage.

Discover Ferris State University

Ferris State University is excited to welcome you as you start college! With over 180 exciting and hands-on programs, we're here to help you kickstart your career while also discovering who you are. 

At Ferris, we believe that college is about more than just gaining skills—it's about exploring your passions and finding your path. Whether you're interested in traditional college classes, online courses, or convenient locations closer to home, we have options to fit your needs. 

Here, you’ll learn by doing, so you’re prepared for a job you’ll love after graduation.