Its weird to think that I've been here at Gannon for over a month. How the time flew. In some cases it seems like yesterday that I moved in and began the adventure. However I also feel like I've been here forever. My days seem busy but I enjoy them, the classes have been tough but manageable. So in being here I thought I give some advice to incoming students, it may turn into life advice we will see where this goes, and how I have started to work on living up to this advice.
Get involved on campus:
In my first week here, before classes (aka the craziness) started we had what is fondly referred to as Preview GU. One of the activities that was not mandated but was worth while at least in my opinion to go to was the activities fair. Now I'm sure most universities have on of these in there orientations before classes start. At the fair there were booths for almost all of the clubs and societies. All of the Greek life was represented along with club sports and groups like PATCHES or Service clubs. All the individual colleges or schools honor societies were there it was a really beneficial thing for me to go to get information and contacts for the clubs I was interested in.
So how this helped me.... I was able to get the contact information for the club Ultimate Frisbee team that I am now a part of. I love it and have all ready started to form a slight obsession for the game. We practice officially 2 nights a week as a full team a third afternoon is just for us handlers, and now we are starting to join a club league at one of the local schools. Frisbee is a lot of fun and the people are awesome. Having an activity to do that you enjoy that also keeps you active helps you to stay healthy and focused which makes it possible to not die with all the work that college actually has.
I have also joined the Symphonic Band here. Its a lot smaller than my high school band back home but I like it. Right now we are preparing for our Christmas concert so all our music is Xmas, which is fun and exciting. Being that we are a small group I was able to write an essay and do an audition and I now have a scholarship that is involved with the group.
My advice to any incoming freshman or rather anyone is stay involved, and try something new, you never know it could turn out to be your next favorite thing.
Meet new people:
This is kind of a no brainer your in a new place your going to meet new people. The important thing is to meet new people with an open mind, attend events and try to learn there names. For me personally the last thing was the hardest to do.
So your a freshman in college most of your classes are probably not your major, but rather general classes that are required to graduate. That means that every new class you go to you have a lot of new people in them or at least most of them are not the same. Be friendly meet the new people and try as hard as you can to remember their names. For me that is easier said than done. I'm still working on the name thing but I have gotten to the point that I know the names of at least one person in all of my classes. Doesn't seem that hard? You have to remember that I'm living on a floor with about 40 girls I've never met until now. The Frisbee team has about 30 people (6 girls the rest guys) None of whom live on my floor or wing. All of my classes have about 20 to 30 people in them. Plus there is a lot of people you meet at other events that don't fall into any of those categories. Do your best you can get there.
This really goes hand in hand with getting involved if you don't do anything your not going to meet new people. So trying to make new friends in things that interest you. While it may seem like there's no one that you have anything in common with once you get to know people things will work out.
Take things as they are:
I'm going to apply this to a few things, but you can really apply it to almost everything in life. Don't over think things, now I know I do this so its something to work on. Don't take things to personally.
For me I can apply this best to me moving out of my original suite into a whole different room after being here for almost three weeks. Why did I move? Well the simple answer is that things didn't work out and it was the best idea for me and for Lexy. If you want to know more about what actually happened contact me personally if you don't have my number, well don't worry about it. What I learned for this whole adventure of dealing with this problem and then deciding to move is this, don't take it personally rather take it as it is. For most colleges your roommate your placed with will not be your best friend, your best friend will come for else where i.e. the first two topics, so if it doesn't work out try to just live together if that isn't working talk to your RA. The process of moving for me was stressful but once I started really living in my new room I'm glad I made the move. While Jaclyn and I aren't exactly the same person I think that we could be friends. The moral of this story is this take something at face value. You haven't been with these people long enough for it to have a deeper meaning.
This can also be applied to the workload. Now I can't complain too much its only freshman year and first semester for that matter the work is not that hard. But for sure its likely a lot more work than you have ever done. Unlike in high school you don't have to do the reading most professors are not going to hunt you down and make you go to class or do that paper. These are things of the past, so take the work as it is a lot more than your used to, but nothing that you can't handle. There's a reason you got into the college or university there's a reason you made it into the program your smart enough and capable enough to handle it so do just that handle it. I'm saying that there won't be things that aren't hard cause there will be but you can do it. For me the first test is always the hardest not knowing how the test is going to look or how difficult it will be is always a stressor, but doing what you know works for you and trusting that you do know your stuff will help. Don't stress is all I can say and personally I know its easier said than done. Just this Friday was our first judgment day as Dr. Meinchouse calls it for Sacred Scripture. All I can say is that I was nervous I had no idea what the test was going to look like and how nit picky the questions would be but sitting here right now I think I did fine. Take things as they are and you can do it.
These are just two of many examples for me of where you can apply this phrase. I challenge you to think about where this applies to your life and what you may be blowing out of proportion.
A friend is a friend is a friend:
Since my last post was kind of about this I'm going to try to not be to wordy on this :).
Your meeting a lot of new people, and forming new friendships, just remember that a friend is a friend. So that girl on the Frisbee team that you throw with almost daily can be just as good of a friend is that girl back home. Let your friendships grow. Also remember that you have friends and family back home that are here to support you. Call, text or do whatever you need to.
Homesickness:
You know that thing that you swore to yourself you would never let yourself get. It happens don't feel bad about yourself for getting it.
For me I said I wouldn't get it. This was a new adventure and a great thing for me a growing experience and I wasn't going to miss home. Now I can honestly say I got homesick am I ashamed of it not at all. It can be hard to leave behind friends and family and things you enjoy, but its important to remember that there still there if you need them. For I tend to focus on why I'm here, what I like about everything, cry a little and then move on. They will always be there. I like the fact that I have pictures to remind me of them. Keep in mind that this is a growing experience and not something that will happen over night.
You can do it!!!
Be yourself:
So I know that this is a new beginning and with new beginnings people tend to think of ways in which they are unhappy with themselves and then try to invent a new you. Don't there is nothing wrong with trying to better yourself but remember that your a great person. Be you!
For me there was a lot of stress involved in the whole moving shindig. The thing I stress most is that there is nothing wrong with you, sometimes things don't work out as they planed its okay to move on or to move out for me literally its not ok to blame something on yourself.
So there has been a lot of things I've learned in these first thirty some days, and that doesn't include all of the course work. :) You can do it :) You out there who is reading this may not be in college or plan to be in the not to distant future but my challenge for you is to try to apply these to your life and see where they take you. As always I will try to write more but I'm not sure how consistent I will be. Have a good week everyone!
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