Article by Emanuel Khamala, Luke Rushik, Alli Goering
Throughout our lives, we are all required to answer difficult questions: what college we want to attend, what we want our lives to look like, what career we want. Although those things play a significant role in our futures, the most important question comes down to one, what do we need to know before attending college? It’s difficult to know; the articles spread across the internet don’t take into account the university students attend, and lots of students feel overwhelmed. Though at Greenville, there is assistance available. Located on Greenville University’s campus, around seven hundred students could give a list of things, but a select few had very relatable, helpful, and interesting answers. Before you continue, don’t even ask: YES, you need to know how to do laundry.
On campus, seniors hold the most knowledge (or at least think they do!). The students in Liam McArthur had many comments about things they wish that they had known four years ago. His first piece of advice was “go out and meet people, everyone is not as scary or mean as they seem to be.” Even though Greenville is an overall friendly campus, meeting new people is still a little intimidating. As a collective, they agreed that new students should have a positive attitude about meeting new people and to go out to social events on campus. To follow that, they also made comments on things you need before college, those things including a foam mattress pad, a shower caddy, a sustainable laptop because “you’ll use it often,” and an external hard drive. They also recommended bringing good headphones, a lot of laundry detergent, and an emphasis on saving money. Lastly, they brought up pointers like setting reminders on your phone, using the calendar app, waking up early, and establishing a routine.
Moving to Marti House, on campus, Chasity Hill, had many things she wishes she would have known before moving to Greenville. Rewinding all the way to freshman year, Chasity said, “I wish I knew more about the classes I was going to take. Being a junior now, the classes are harder and very challenging.” Before starting college freshman year, Chasity wishes advisors would go over what every year entails so students can be prepared. Other than classes, Chasity mentioned that college is not like the movies, it’s a fun and exciting experience, but it is portrayed in a different way on screen.
Coming from a newcomer’s perspective, college is an intimidating time of life. Students pack up, leave everything they have known their whole lives behind, and move to a campus across the country or even a couple hours from home. “Even though the first few weeks can be difficult, Greenville became like home to me faster than I thought it would,” said freshman Emma Brown. In relation to what the seniors from Kemp House said, one of the most important parts is going out and meeting people. Everyone new is in the same boat, some just hide it better than others. College is an opportunity to meet so many new people and even find your best friends. Once you meet people though, you’ll still want to know a few things; how to do laundry, cook certain things, and clean. Dorm rooms get extremely dusty- swiffers, dusters, and washcloths are important to have and know how to use. Other than cleaning, the most important part is to not be scared and just enjoy it because it only lasts for so long.
On paper, college can sound like a scary time between classes, extracurricular activities, and moving away from home, though it is better than it seems. Finding out information before attending can be so beneficial, but sometimes students have to learn along the way. Having the knowledge of doing all the things isn’t as important as having the courage to ask about them. Everyone has sympathy because once, everyone at Greenville was experiencing the same thing. It is a whole new journey of life, there is nothing you can do but conquer it.
