Everyone has moved in, New Student Institute has come to a close, and school for the fall semester has officially begun. Freshman year for many students is both exciting and scary, and while the days leading up to the beginning of one’s collegiate career are overloaded with information and tips, it seems that sometimes the best lessons learned come from experience.
However, we happen to have many outstanding people on campus who can speak from their own experiences. So what do new students need to know? What might they wish they had done differently?
Cheyenne Reynolds, senior student and Social Life Executive Officer, came to SNU unlike most traditional students, transferring as a sophomore. Having missed NSI and being without a collective class in the same boat as her, it would have been easy to keep her distance from SNU and everyone in it, but she did just the opposite.
In an interview with her, her advice was to “stay involved and don’t close yourself off. Don’t be afraid to sit by new people… Once you find that one person, it makes everything easier for you.” She also added that “everything that everyone will go through in college… I think there is a positive aspect in it, no matter how little it is.”
Cheyenne’s positive outlook has both helped her embrace her first days on SNU’s campus to get involved and create meaningful friendships as well as remember even the hardships of college to be valuable lessons.
Ory Schultheis, another senior student and tuba player extraordinaire, had advice to offer as well, also relating to being opportunistic: “I wish I wouldn’t have been so rigid on my sleep schedule… I always went to bed so early. There were plenty of other times to hang out with friends. That was probably my biggest regret freshman year.”
He also spoke on a relationship he had coming into his freshman year: “It’s not worth waiting on someone or doing long distance with someone with you know it’s not going to work… I was really reserved to a lot of people because of it.”
While Ory did note some ways he might have began college differently, he also has recognized the importance of seizing the moment and seems to plan on living that way for his final year.
Freshmen and transfers, no matter how you are feeling about this strange stage in your life, do not forget to make the most of every moment: even the worst ones, with the right perspective, can prove to be special and memorable. Carpe diem.
[author image=”http://echo.snu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Allens-face-for-echo.jpg”]Allen Dunlap, Assistant Editor
Allen is a senior majoring in Theology and Ministry. Prior to joining the ECHO, Allen worked on campus as a writing tutor. Upon graduation, he aspires to continue following his call to ministry by furthering his education. Above anything else, he desires to continue seeking for an intimate relationship with God and to lovingly minister to others in a way that they might do the same.[/author]