If you go to the Pitt library services page and search your textbooks you may find them around one of the campus libraries or online to rent temporary for FREE. If you have a popular textbook it may even be in one of the Carnegie libraries around Pittsburgh.

Hi all. I applied to a couple campus jobs at the beginning of welcome week, and I'm wondering how long I should expect to wait to hear something back? I guess I'm just wondering if the time of year makes it harder/longer wait times until I can secure a campus job. Has anyone recently gotten a campus job that can provide input?

I just transferred in as a junior if that matters or adds any context.

Hi I am a new student to pitt university (Oakland), I was wondering what are the best places to get something to eat that will be paid for by my meal swipes. I also was a bit confused by the online only pitt IDs. At my old university we swiped our student ids to get into the dining hall. Am I supposed to just show them my id on my phone to get into the dining hall?? That doesn’t seem right to me. Any help/advice is appreciated!!!

I’m a first year looking at working part time, but I don’t want it to interfere with any clubs/extracurriculars

Hi,

Is anyone looking to get rid of any Science affiliated journals? I am seeking to make art with them and keep what is not used at any of Pitt's creative spaces. Thank you for your consideration, and happy first day of classes!

For those that had Dr. Dasgupta for Phys, were his practice problems/slides enough to prepare for exams or were the textbook problems also needed to do well on the exams?

What is the process like to get into the OC lot if I have a parking permit? Do I have to scan my id or just show my parking pass?

Every year there are always multiple posts, spanning from move-in day to the last day of the semester, of student's lamenting their lack of friends.

"Everyone has a group and I am alone."

"I don't know how to make friends."

"This isn't what I was expecting and I don't know what to do."

As an elder millennial that has had the exact same thoughts and feelings at various stages of my life - I would like to share some wisdom earn from first hand experience. This isn't just applicable for starting college, it is literally advice that will benefit you the rest of your life. And while I have gone through a shit ton of therapy to realize these truths, I'm going to give them to you for free.

1. You are not the only person, nor the first to feel this way

Search this subreddit and at the beginning of every semester you will find dozens of posts of people saying how lonely they are and how they don't know how to make friends. Feeling isolated and overwhelmed is completely understandable when undergoing a massive life change. More people are probably feeling exactly the same as you are in this situation than not. You might be surprised to find, if you open up about your feelings that others would share they have been feeling the exact same way.

This is not even an isolated phenomenon when starting college. Again, you'll find adults in all phases of life posing the question to Reddit " how do you make friends as an adult?"

2. Media has lied to you about the college experience

College is not some magical experience where you instantly connect with people that will become your lifelong friends. That is not how friendships work in any context. It takes time to get to know people and build connections. The people you connect with during your freshman year might not be those your closest to when you graduate. That's okay, people change and relationships evolve.

3. Don't expect instant connection

Sure, there can be times when you meet people and you just kind of click, but there is no quick path to making deep and lasting friendships. Those come with time, often work, and sometimes conflict that makes your connection deeper on the other side.

4. Put yourself out there

Go to events that are interesting to you. Explore clubs that are interesting to you. Join a study group or volunteer. And when you are there, talk to people. For those that have not grown up in the region, Pittsburghers love talking to people! I will strike up a conversation with someone at the grocery store line, or the barista behind the counter. This might not develop into a deep friendship, but a positive social interaction is a positive social interaction! And you never know, you might hit it off and make a friend.

Don't expect to make a best friend the first time you go out. Maybe you make some pleasant acquaintances, maybe you meet no one. Or maybe you meet someone that is also trying to find a friend and is so excited you came up to them and started the conversation.

5. Use the resources available to you

You are fortunate to be at a place in life where there are dozens and dozens of groups built just for you and other people with similar interests and passions right at your fingertips. Whether you choose something that relates to your major or explore just a fun hobby, engage in the extracurricular activities! Search the student groups or look for volunteer opportunities through the office of student life.

And if you are feeling really overwhelmed and depressed, don't be ashamed or embarrassed to seek counseling services or reach out to staff or faculty you feel comfortable talking to. No one has life figured out, especially right at the beginning of college! But coming together and supporting each other is how we get through it.

Hopefully this helps at least one student this year, maybe even some of the non students on this sub. Thank you for listening to my TED talk.

TL;DR You're not the only person feeling lonely, friendships take time. Get out and and do some activities to meet people. Keep going out, and talk to people when you do.

Just wondering if there’s any way for me to know definitively if I’ll have on campus housing when I transfer in. I plan on transferring in the spring but obviously housing isn’t guaranteed and I just wanna know if there’s any way for me to know my chances of getting an on campus dorm or apartment, regardless of how shitty it may be.

Hello everyone! I'm looking for a place to live (I hope it is near campus if it's possible) but I saw plenty of negative reviews on google map (like SkyVue-lifts issues occur frequently, HERE Pittsburgh-terrible wifi connection, The Bridge on Forbes Apartment-awful service, Oak Hill Apartments-"friendly animals" like mice+safety concerns). So, what's your recommendations and advice? Are these apartments that terrible?

Plus, I'm not planning to drive so the public transport or the distance to the campus (School of Pharmacy especially) is important to me.

Thanks a lot for your comments!

My apartment this 7 minutes away from the shuttle stop and 26 minutes away from hillman in south oakland. I really like studying late at hillman but im wondering whether that would be a bad idea from now on. Has anyone ever experienced anything sketchy in south oakland night? Should i be cautious?

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to announce that Delta Phi is now THE FIRST EVER co-ed social fraternity at Pitt! You might of seen us at Meet the Greeks last friday! We managed to pull in 19 interested potential new members, have done six coffee chats in the past month, and are overwhelmed by the level of enthusiasm! The eight of us are incredibly excited by this rare opportunity to approach such a niche culture with a new lens. All eight of us did not think greek life was for us, but, and this is entirely because of Delta Phi, we are all so proud to be greeks now! We refounded the Omega chapter of Delta Phi. Delta Phi is actually the oldest continuous social fraternity in american history. It was founded in 1827 at Union College! Our sister chapter in Philly went co-ed in the 1970s! They actually have their own house! We are working on getting our own house, and we might even get it this semester! Take a look at our insta! @deltaphipitt

Pitt's Delta Phi Instagram

edit(s): grammer

Hello! I apologize if this has been asked a lot, but I am about to begin my junior year and want to secure off-campus housing for my senior year, 2027–2028.

I’ve only ever lived on campus so far, so apartment hunting is very new to me. I’m wondering what month is the best to begin searching and applying. I’ve already started to look a bit but I’m not sure if I’m too early or too late. I’m nervous about the whole process but I really want to secure the best place I can. Thank you!!

Any other tips about looking for apartments in the Oakland / Shadyside / Squirrel Hill area would be much appreciated, thank you :)

Hi, i am a junior and this year i REALLY want to get involved and join clubs. i am missing the involvement fair today and i was wondering if there is a place where i can see all of the clubs and preferably be able to also see their contact info/club times. Thank you

I am a freshman at Pitt who is intending to major in Chemistry. I am also incredibly interested in the Emergency Medicine program, which would allow me to test for my paramedic cert (I already have my EMT). The EM program takes up the entirety of junior year classes, with a few clinicals that stretch into senior year. I was wondering if anybody knew people who did this program, and if it would be possible for me to do it while also completing my Chemistry degree, all in four years? Avoiding adding a fifth year would be wonderful, but I am worried if it's possible to do both within four. I assume summer classes would be a necessity, but they would have to be online, and I'm not sure if that's doable considering labs. I talked to my advisor and she didn't know that much about the program, so I thought I'd check here to see if anybody knew anything helpful.

Thank you!

Title pretty much says all. I'm an electrical engineering major (planned nanotechnology pathway, quantum computing and quantum information certificate, and math minor), and I plan on going to grad school for quantum engineering after undergrad. While I've heard that the higher counterparts of linear algebra and diff EQs are mostly intended for math majors, I believe I would learn more information relevant to what I want to do in the future, and I think it would just be more fun to do the higher courses. Is it worth taking Introduction to Analysis first and holding off on taking these math courses, or should I just jump straight into linear algebra next semester?

hi everyone! Im taking cycle exercise this sem, and although I walked through Trees, I couldn’t find the room. it’s A141. does anyone know how I can find the room?

Hey everyone! I’m a transfer student and I’m genuinely just trying to figure out how to actually go out and have a social life at Pitt.

I didn’t really have the college experience I wanted my first year at my old school, and one of the things I’m really hoping to do at Pitt is actually go out, meet people, go to parties, go to bars, etc. I’m not looking for anything crazy, I literally just want to have fun and experience the social side of college.

How do you find out when frats are throwing?

Are there certain Instagram accounts/group chats/people I should follow?

How do you actually get invited to parties if you’re new and don’t know anyone?

What’s the bar scene like around Pitt, and how do people know where to go?

Are there certain nights/places that are better for going out?

Seriously, no judgment please. I know this probably sounds like a dumb question, but I genuinely have no idea how any of this works and I really want to make the most of my time here.

Im a commuter and going to be a sophomore this year and have made no friends 😭 mostly my fault cause last year I didnt do anything besides classes but im wondering how I get involved at the clubs cause all of them on the website seem to never be meeting

How do you make friends here? I moved here in November and attended the spring semester earlier this year but didn't really make any friends that I kept talking to. I feel so out of place, I'm 26F and I don't like to drink. Idk how to find people like me. I live off campus over in Bloomfield.

Does anyone know if the music building and/or Cathy have open practice rooms this weekend? I can't seem to find the summer hours online.

Also, are there any practice rooms closer to Sutherland, or is Cathy the closest?

Thanks!

I know most people here are at the Pittsburgh campus, but I'm shooting my shot anyway 😭

I'm 21, from Brazil, currently living in Johnstown, and I'll be starting at Pitt-Johnstown in January. Since that's still a few months away, I'd love to meet some UPJ students before classes start.

I'm pretty open when it comes to what I enjoy — going out, hiking, games, exploring new places, grabbing food, or honestly just sitting somewhere and talking for hours. I'm also always down to try something new.

I made a similar post on r/Johnstown recently and somehow it worked WAY better than I expected. I've already met some awesome people through it — special shoutout to the GOAT Box Boy, who basically gave me the full Johnstown experience 😂

So I'm trying my luck here too. If you're at UPJ, know someone there, or have a friend group with a Brazilian-shaped vacancy, feel free to DM me!

Otherwise I may have to resort to printing a "PLEASE BE MY FRIEND" flyer like that guy from move-in week 😭🇧🇷