With the fall semester almost in full swing, Emerson’s campus is slowly starting to fill in and it’s not quite the same place it was last year. First off, there’s a new class of 900 students taking over the freshly-renovated Little Building, then new campus center at 172 Tremont is finally open with whiteboard walls and a kitchen to boot, and construction on the Piano Row gym is starting as well. With all that to consider, the first week of classes may be more hectic than ever. Below are some tips and reminders to help you keep a calm head.
Week of Welcome and Orientation events (for first years) are great ways to meet/reconnect with people and snag some free stuff and food. It might seem like a good idea to blow off all the orientation events to bond with your roommates and floor-mates, but you might be missing out on the opportunity to make some other connections and get exposed to what life is truly like at Emerson. Week of Welcome (W.O.W.) is a series of events around campus for all students to attend during the first week of classes including stuff like drag bingo, a jazz brunch, and dorm decor crafts with succulents and other goodies. You can find the schedule for Week of Welcome above.
Start each class with a positive attitude and give each professor a chance before switching out. Is it tempting to read the syllabus posted on Canvas for a class and immediately decide it’s not for you? Yes. But you never know what a class is actually going to be like until you go. You might end up loving the professor and discovering a new passion. Don’t be afraid to get to know your classmates a little on the first day as well. Figuring out whether or not you gel with a particular classroom of peers can be the difference between succeeding and struggling in a course. And, I cannot stress this enough, WAIT to buy your textbooks. Some professors end up putting pdfs of the textbook on Canvas or don’t use them at all, and, in the event that you do drop the class, you won’t need them anyways.
Take some time to get reacquainted with Emerson and your friends. Jumping right back in can be a lot and that’s understandable. Whether you went home for the summer or spent it in this city or another, the summer is undoubtedly a time of transformation. Being back on campus with the rest of the student body in the fall can take a while to get used to again. Give yourself some time to adjust. Don’t forget to practice all that self-care you were so good about during the summer. Make sure your eating three meals a day and drinking lots of water. It’s the small things that can make sure you start the semester on the right foot, instead of in bed with a cold or on the bring of a mental breakdown. And, don’t forget about Emerson’s long list of underutilized student resources. Worried about money? Snag some toiletries or snacks from the Office of Student Success in Piano Row instead of going to CVS. Need someone to talk to? The Healing and Advocacy Center or ECAPS have counselors for your use that are fully confidential. Overall, give yourself some room to breath.
Lastly, use the week to organize yourself, your space, and your thoughts. The first week of class can be busy, but it’s nothing compared to the constant buzz of activity on campus once all the organizations get rolling. I strongly recommend taking this time to write down your priorities and goals for the semester. It’s easy to get caught up during the crazy months ahead and forget all the things you had planned for yourself. The best way to avoid this is to put into words exactly what you want to achieve, and have a way to constantly remind yourself of those desires. It could be applying to 20 full-time jobs before winter break if your staring down the barrel of graduation or simply to take better notes in class and get to know your professors.