Written by Hope Brakenhoff. Media by Momoka Murata.
Source from Community Sparknotes.
One of the most challenging transitions in a person’s life is the transition into college. The sudden change from living at home with your parents to living with a roommate in a small dorm room is a lot harder than what most people think it will be. Realizing that you have to cook your own food and set-aside time to do your homework without your parents telling you to do so is a much more difficult task than you’d originally expect. When you start college, you quickly realize that you have an amazing amount of freedom to make your own choices in everything you do. With that, though, comes a lot of responsibility and maturity to get things done. Many upperclassmen can list off some things that they wish they would have known coming into their freshman year of college.
Here are 4 quick tips to surviving your freshmen year of college, as told by upperclassmen:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Photo by Momoka M
One of the hardest parts about adjusting to college life is understanding that it’s okay to not know the answer. College is not meant to be easy and the best way to make it a little less difficult is to ask for help when it’s needed. It can be with class work, friends, relationships, or just understanding how to adjust to hectic college schedules. Senior Tiffany Strickler said this was one of the biggest lessons she has learned throughout her college career. As an education major, classes are going to be really difficult and sometimes the only way to get through them is to ask the professor, TA, or classmates for help. Fortunately, Greenville University has dedicated professors who are willing and want to help their students succeed.
Manage your time wisely.
Photo by Momoka M
While asking for help is a major lesson to learn, time management is equally as difficult to master. It is so important to understand that once you are in college you have the freedom to choose when to accomplish everything on your to-do list. However, it is extremely important to get everything done in a timely manner. When homework is assigned you cannot procrastinate because that is when the work becomes subpar and grades start slipping. It is also important to manage your time wisely because you have more time to spend doing other activities that you want to do for fun.
Go out and meet new people.
The college experience revolves heavily around the friends you make. Many people would even say that the friends you make in college become friends for life. It’s really hard to put yourself out there and talk to strangers, but remember, they are probably freaking out on the inside too. Once you take the first step you will quickly realize that stepping out of your comfort zone is completely worth it. You can only make forever friends in college if you be brave and talk to new people.
Create roots.
A beautiful thing about Greenville University is how much the staff encourage students to get involved on campus and within the community. Creating roots with parts of the community is something that improves the college experience in ways you would never imagine. Making the roots with churches or with other community groups is vital during your freshman year. While it is still possible to develop those deep relationships later in your college experience, it’s a lot harder to do that during your senior year when you are about to graduate and move on. So, make those roots now.
Beginning college is an unbelievably difficult transition in life. Guidance from the people who have been through it all is something that is not usually available, but it is at Greenville.
Greenville University is all about building relationships and helping everyone grow in more ways than one. If you are struggling and overwhelmed with this new lifestyle, do not be afraid. Reach out to upperclassmen, professors, and other faculty members. They have been through it all and they want everyone to succeed, including you.
