Advice From A Senior To A Freshman
A new school and environment can be hard, especially for those who don’t know anyone there. Tackling classwork, a job, social life, extra-curricular activities, and making sure you’re eating and sleeping enough is a lot for new students, whether living on campus, near campus, or staying home with their family. When Seniors were asked what advice, they’d give to a freshman I got a variety of answers. Some had a lot to say, others kept it simple and straight to the point. Here’s what they had to say:
“Manage your stress levels, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not just like high school, there’s a lot more going on and to do.” -Logan Davis
“Have a friend. It may seem overrated and overstated, but you need people in your life. You don’t have to be a social butterfly and talk to everyone but have at least one person. Someone from high school who happened to go to the same school as you, your best friend throughout life, or even a stranger you met because you awkwardly sat together at a welcome function. College is rough sometimes, and you ARE going to have bad days. Not all the time, but you will have them, and it’s important to have somebody there to rant to.” -Anthony Hardy
“Get a classmate’s number. There are times you miss class, but college classes move quick a lot.” -Anthony Hardy
“Stay on top of your assignments. Use an Agenda/Planner of some type to keep yourself organized. At bare minimum, complete your assignments the night before if you need too. Set your own personal due-dates to be at the latest, the night before the assignment is actually due.” -Logan Davis
“Ask questions and ask for help when you need it. Professors and the rest of the staff on campus want students to succeed.” –Lars Lehmann
“Find places to hang out. When you need a break or want to have a little fun it’s good to have a place to go to. Find the place that you feel the most relaxed and you will feel more at home but keep some backups just in case your place gets taken. The only way to know your options is to spend time exploring campus.” -Anthony Hardy
“Go to every class and find a hobby to de-stress.” -Camden Cutlip
“To not be afraid to talk to their professors about any issues they’re having in class” -Caroline Pauley
“Practice your writing skills. For some people, writing can be quite the chore. I’ve seen my fair share of people who have trouble typing up a five-page essay, and they get very stressed out. You don’t have to freak out about it, however. Find somebody who can help, maybe your friend is good at writing… If you are still struggling there is a writing center in The Library, there are people there throughout the day to help anyone who is struggling, or even just to revise a paper for you. It’s quite helpful!” -Anthony Hardy
“Don’t stick with something if it doesn’t feel right. If you need to change majors five times, then so be it. Don’t be afraid to try different majors or to step outside of your major. Don’t listen to the people who expect you to have life all figured out at eighteen, and don’t feel guilty because you don’t know what you want yet. It takes time and experience.” -Sean Lee
“Be aware of the campus’s peak traffic times. This way you’ll know what areas to avoid due to COVID.” -Logan Davis
“There is a tutoring center on the 2nd floor of the library, use this to your advantage. There are many people who tutor many different things, and if they can’t help there is a very high chance, they know who can.” -Anthony Hardy
“Stay hydrated, keep a decent sleep schedule, and eat regularly. You don’t want to burn yourself out while you’re on campus. If you need tech help, there is an IT on the first floor of the library.” -Anthony Hardy
“Establish a reasonable bedtime so that you don’t get headaches” -Logan Davis
“Go to some of the school functions. They have performances, shows, dances, and venues all over all the time, don’t be afraid to join in some of the action.” -Anthony Hardy
“I would probably say don’t overwork yourself with Homework and Studying and remember it is okay to take a break from all that, so you don’t get burned out right away” – Mason Malone
“If you have an opinion speak your thoughts, everyone has valid opinions.” -Anthony Hardy
Don’t be afraid to ask an upperclassman for advice, more often than not they’d be willing to help you out. After all, they were once in your position as well.
