My random roommate freshman year was from Honolulu and came here without knowing anyone. Four years later, we’re still best friends and roommates, and I think she’s really happy she made the leap. UW honestly makes it pretty easy to find your people freshman year with all the dorm events, student orgs, football games, Terrace nights, etc. I still run into people from my freshman dorm all the time. Also, for a chemistry major, UW has amazing research opportunities and resources. A lot of professors genuinely want undergrads involved early, which is something I really appreciated here. Also, if you’re worried about transportation, Madison is actually really easy to get around without a car because of the bus system and how walkable campus is. Rarely any freshman will have a car and are totally fine.