At Rutgers Camden many first year students are not utilizing office hours provided by professors. This tool is given to students to allow them to get clarification on schoolwork, get extra help with the course load outside of class hours, and ask questions one on one with professors rather than in front of an entire class. However, freshmen have commented that they struggle with taking advantage of this academic resource. Many say they feel nervous or even unsure of how to come to their professors. 

Office hours can be defined as scheduled times professors set aside outside of the class for a more hands-on and individual conversation with students. This is to ensure that students do not feel disconnected from their professors and also give them a safe space to express their needs, whereas in class they may feel less comfortable doing so. 

According to Professor Cavanaugh, a professor at Rutgers Camden University, office hours are a crucial part of academic success. She even went as far as to say, “They obtain more personalized feedback about how to approach assignments and their career goals.” Along with this, the professor mentioned that she has seen upperclassmen utilize this tool far more than first year students using office hours. 

Gizelle Lizardi is a freshman at Rutgers Camden currently in her first spring semester in college. She mentioned that there has been a major transition period moving from high school to college. Not just with the lifestyle, but also with academics. Many freshmen are still

adjusting to college academics compared to high school. Not to mention that office hours are not always mandatory nor specifically talked about in class. While some professors may encourage students to come to see them early in the semester, these announcements tend to fall flat. Many first year students like Gizelle find going to office hours uncomfortable. 

Lizardi said, “I do not feel comfortable approaching a professor outside of class. I probably would never approach one if I saw them somewhere.” She then went on to say that she believes these feelings of being nervous is most likely the main cause of lack of first year students attending office hours, “I think the main factor is nervousness. Many students probably don’t want to be the only ones there and also don’t want to spend the time there.” Another interesting conclusion she had was that there is less structure in college academics compared to in high school. The freshman stated, “There’s no one telling me what to do, I have to take initiative on my own learning experience, it’s strange”. 

While there is an adjustment to college academics, office hours can be used as a tool to bridge the gap between a student and professor in the classroom setting. Professors have found that the students that choose to attend office hours have found great success in their academics. Professor Cavanaugh believes that it improves one’s understanding of the course material. It can also further reinforce relationships with Rutgers Camden professors, which can be helpful later on for recommendations, and even shows students that they are able to take initiative for their grades. Professors at Rutgers Camden urge first year students to become familiar with the process of using office hours and to take advantage of these opportunities.

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The commuter students at Rutgers University in Camden choose whether or not to stay on campus after class, after 5 pm, based on three key points. Planning, Parking, and their safety. Evening events can include club meetings, study sessions, campus programs, sports games, and other activities. Compared to those who live on campus, commuters face challenges in staying involved in campus life. 

Meghan Gorman, a freshman commuter currently in her second semester at Rutgers-Camden was asked about her experiences with campus nightlife. She responded by discussing the struggles of committing her time to these events due to the parking issues. She stated, “The only thing that affects my decision to stay late is parking because the commuter lots are in a very inconvenient location as they aren’t anywhere I would be on campus.” 

Bianca Slifko, a sophomore on campus, also mentioned her struggles with parking issues, saying that the far walk from the building to her car hindered her from attending events. She mentioned, “No, I don’t attend campus events that take place after 5 pm. It gets dark, and the parking lot is an average 10-minute walk to the campus building. Camden is a sketchy area in the dark.”  And later added, “I try to stay aware of my surroundings, walking with friends whenever possible, or not put myself in these situations in the first place.” 

Silfko also commented that she feels so unsafe after dark that she has skipped study sessions to avoid the area: “There have been study sessions that I have wanted to attend for Anatomy and physiology, but they were 5-7, and I don’t want to walk the streets of Camden at night. The walk to my car stopped me.” 

However, the parking lot safety concerns are not the only troubles that these commuters face. Both of whom were interviewed talked about the sense of detachment they feel from campus due to their lack of engagement. 

Bianca Slifko talked about how she wished she could connect more with those around her and that being a commuter was almost isolating. The sophomore mentioned that all she comes to campus for is class, and nothing more. 

Additionally, Meghan stated that she feels disconnected. When asked whether she liked just coming to campus for the educational aspects, she said, “I never stay unless I have an obligation to be there.” Yet both parties agreed that there were aspects of how the university goes about scheduling these events that could help them with engagement. 

Since being a commuter comes with extra planning, there are ways our events could be organized so these individuals can participate more. These students agreed that scheduling is a key factor in making campus easier to attend. 

For instance, Meghan mentioned, “It would make it easier for me to participate in evening activities if there were more of a variety of days that events were taking place”. She also went on to say that, since all the games are on the same days at around the same times, the little variety left no room to fit them into her schedule. 

Even Bianca talked about these struggles. “I feel less connected because it takes time and planning for me to come to events. I can’t just walk across the street from the dorms. I need to know in advance about all the events”. Along with this, she expressed her issue was with the lack of understanding of our schedules. “If all the events were better communicated, I’ll get an email. Events happened, and we’re over that. I didn’t even know they existed”. Both students expressed a desire for a clearer understanding that commuter students face different restrictions than those who live on campus. They agreed that if Rutgers-Camden adjusts how it hosts these events, these individuals may have better options to make their experience at Rutgers-Camden more well-rounded. 

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Athletes at Rutgers University in Camden can spend anywhere between eight to twenty hours a week on athletics depending on their season. Even in the off-season these teams come together for practices, conditioning, and team meetings. In season, these time commitments can include travel and competitions, only adding to the time spent together. Both in and out of season, student athletes require mental, physical and even academic demands. 

According to a recent study at the Liberal Arts and Sciences department of the University of Illinois, “Research suggests that students should spend approximately two to three hours, per credit hour, studying in order to be successful in their courses.” They also mentioned that additional studying was important for STEM classes. 

Meanwhile, student athletes are still expected to balance their academics, work, and personal lives, leaving little downtime to engage in other extracurriculars or hobbies. Many athletes even express that there are pressures of being a student athlete that can be difficult to notice through an outside point of view. 

Caitlyn Ortiz, a sophomore on the Rutgers–Camden women’s soccer team, explained that she struggles to perform both on and off the field which causes stressful emotions. She also stated that there are truly no real days off when a part of a collegiate sport.

Rutgers-Camden women’s soccer team is currently in their spring off-season. While their primary competition window is in the fall, this team is using the winter and spring months to get in extra work off the field. Their schedule includes weekly practices Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with hours adding to around eight hours dedicated to mostly conditioning in preparation for their preseason this upcoming summer. 

Caitlyn Ortiz shared her experience trying to juggle being a student athlete with social connections, “The off-season I spent hours practicing and trying to make time to do things with family and friends can be hard…”. And when she was asked what some of the biggest challenges she faced as an athlete, she expressed, “We have to worry about performing on the field, but we also have to worry about performing in the classroom…” 

In contrast, RUC’s baseball team is starting to focus on their upcoming games. The team won the NJAC tournament in 2025 and are currently top contenders for the title this year. In their preseason, their preparation includes practices Monday through Saturday, with hours reaching over 20 per week. A baseball game lasts several hours, and it is also common for Rutgers Camden’s baseball team to have double headers, which are competition days with multiple games. 

Brice Bradley, a junior baseball player at Rutgers–Camden, expressed, “One of my biggest concerns would probably be missing class. Our travel days take up a lot of time, and while the absences are excused you miss some of the material.” He also added, “Keeping in contact with the professors is probably the biggest key, and for the most part they’re really great with being understanding and supportive”. 

Although the requirements and schedules are different depending on the season, the students and staff at Rutgers Camden University help to ensure the success of the athletics programs. Student athletes participation in their sports demands skills in time management at all times of the year.

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