That first semester can fly by for freshmen. The same sensation is felt here with "Year One: Life at ASU," our periodic photo series following five freshmen through their first year at ASU. It seems like we just watched these students move into their dorms, and now they're already going through their first round of final exams.
Here's a look at how they study — and break the monotony of studying with some help from friends. If you're a regular fan of this series you might notice we're missing one of our five, Sabrina Haines. With her obligations to the ASU women's basketball team, which is ranked No. 24 in the nation at the time of this post, she has been busy traveling to games, practicing and studying ... and not always in a way that fit with our schedules. Regardless, Sabrina and the other four will be back next semester as we watch them go through their second semester. You know it's going to fly by fast enough that we'll soon be at the end of the school year wondering where the time went.
-
Freshman Kaitlyn DiLorenzo studies for her Calculus III class, completing a 215-question study guide in her residence hall room at the West campus on Dec. 3.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
-
Studying doesn't have to be a marathon of isolated work. DiLorenzo gets a break from the books with a visit from her friend Austin Church as she studies for her Calculus III class.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
-
DiLorenzo, an applied mathematics major, takes a break from studying as her friend and freshman forensic biology major Bethany Pittman tries on her glasses.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
-
Eric Arellano uses a whiteboard to visualize his thoughts while working on his honors project for his Principles of Programming with Java in his dorm room on Nov. 25.
Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now
-
With the goal of "leveraging technology for the social good," Arellano is creating a resource conservation app that will help users compare a one-time use with global usage, and one-time use with the user's historical usage for all types of resources. It combines his computer science major with his sustainability minor.
Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now
-
Freshman Hannah Kiesling goes over her chemistry class PowerPoint slides to study for her last final exam in her dorm room at Taylor Place on Dec. 8.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
-
Kiesling chats with her residence hall's Community Assistant Alicia Gonzales about her upcoming chemistry final exam at Taylor Place the afternoon of Dec. 8.
Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
-
Shuo Zhang (left) and classmate Kuan-Min Lee meet in the library on ASU's Polytechnic campus to work on their General Chemistry homework and study for its final on Nov. 24. Shuo is a freshman in automotive engineering, and Kuan-Min is a freshman in robotics engineering. The chemistry class is required for both.
Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now
-
Shuo Zhang, who is from China, uses his language translator as he works on his General Chemistry homework. The required course is a challenge, and he'd already begun preparing for the final exam before November had ended.
Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now
More Sun Devil community
After 20 years in gymnastics, ASU Law grad finds new purpose in sports industry
For Peyton Valdez, sports have never just been competitions — they’ve been community, identity and home. After spending 20 years as a gymnast, she found herself searching for a new way to stay…
ASU Online helps grad move forward, succeed on own terms
Hardie Kressler planned to stay in the Northeast for college, enrolling at a school not far from his home in Rumson, New Jersey. But, in 2020, before beginning his freshman year, Kressler experienced…
Public servant, Navajo legislator earns Outstanding Graduate distinction
Myron Tsosie is the fall 2025 Outstanding Graduate for ASU’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts. Courtesy photo Rep. Myron Tsosie, a member of the…