By Jessi Walker
I am getting ready to move out of my first college dorm room today and to wrap up my first year at a university on May 5th, 2023. I grew as a person in more ways than I could imagine. If you’re an incoming freshman, this will be the perfect guide for you as I just finished my first year so it is fresh on my mind all I wish I knew (even though technically by credits I’ve been a sophomore this whole time.)
- Get to Know Your Professors
This might sound a little lame, but it felt like my professors were my first friends in a way by the way I got to know them so well. Most professors are understanding people, but it really helps you out if you get a rapport with them. This can be simple at first, such as sending them an introductory email before the semester starts with your information and any questions you have about the course, and this can be built upon as the semester goes along. I participate in class so they remember me as a normal student, but sometimes I go up to them and inform them of my accomplishments. I tell them about my weekend, or what I am going to be doing. When I joined a new team for Shoofly, I told them all about that, and when I joined Her Campus, I sent them my first article with the news if they wanted to read it. They don’t realize it is all a part of my “evil” plan. Professors for the most part try to keep their students in mind, but it is easier for them to truly care about you if you make an effort to get to know them and care for them. This is important even if you don’t plan on taking that professor again, such as when you are taking gen ed courses from a department you aren’t attached to.
It is important to keep them informed about any issues that might arise for you throughout the semester. It might surprise you how much they might show mercy. I had a really rough week when I had a bad roommate situation in October of my first semester at Kutztown, and it affected my sleep. When the roommate got confirmation they were moving out, it meant I could finally sleep. Sleep, I did. I slept more than 14 hours, and missed my performance for a communications course. This was bad, as performances were a big deal for our grades in that course. However, that professor was very understanding, which was probably because I informed her of the issue as well as my regrets about it and knew her by the actions I took to build a rapport. I was expecting the professor to be mad at me, and not let me make up the assignment because I had fears about the level of seriousness deadlines in college could be. However, she was very nice and concerned for my health at that time, and she even told me to take my temperature as sleeping that long could be a sign of fever. I did in fact, have a fever. Of course, it is better to not miss any deadlines as sometimes professors won’t always be this nice, but it is worth trying. The worst thing that can happen is being told no, and having to make up for it in other ways.
- Handling Roommate Troubles
As first year students, you will likely be in a traditional style dorm room with a double room. Of course, this isn’t always the case at every university, but you might have suitemates which have similar implications. It can be hard to live with someone, especially if you never had to share a room before.
If you’re having an issue with your roommate, it is always best to talk about it. Set clear guidelines of what you want or need from them throughout the semester. It is better to talk about it because a person can’t fix what they don’t know. It is best to do this in a casual way, unless it gets bad. If you feel like your roommate is leaving the room messy, for example, it might be helpful to explain how clean you want it to be, and to help each other reach that standard. Some people come from different living situations, with different customs and habits for organization, so it is important to keep that in mind. What is dirty for you might not be dirty for them, and vice versa. That is why it is important to be specific with every boundary you set, so no one is confused and everything that needs to be done can be explained.
Privacy is another issue that pops up in dorm rooms, especially in doubles, and that is bound to cause tension even unintentionally. It is your room just as much as theirs, and it is their room just as much as yours. Sometimes roommates could have a problem with staying in the room a lot, and while they are entitled to do that, that might get annoying to deal with. The best thing you can do is ask first if they’re okay with going somewhere else, and explaining why you might want that. It is also important to find spaces for you to go as well if they have to be in the room or if they’re asking for privacy.
Of course, sometimes talking doesn’t work. In that case, you should probably reach out to your CA (or RA, as most other universities call them) and let them know what is going on if the situation needs to be escalated to external help. Talking should always always be the first step though.
- Actually Getting that Degree
It is important to keep in mind why you are going to a college or a university in the first place, which is to get a degree, or two, of some kind. The degree is what you need to do to advance your education and to make you more hirable in the workplace. Quality work should go to getting a degree. The mantra, “C’s get degrees,” is an interesting one to me, as it is true. However, you should still be trying. You will be less stressed if you know you aren’t between a C or a D (which is failing usually in courses for your major at least at Kutztown). The point of college is to get something out of it, and you won’t really get as much out of it as you can while barely passing. Especially since you’re paying a lot of money for your education, even with financial aid. Achieving good grades can help make that a whole lot cheaper because of scholarships. Of course, this does not mean that you have to be perfect. C’s absolutely get degrees, and it is okay to get them, even if you mostly get them, but you should still try. Being a perfectionist over grades can be really bad. It’s not the end of your world if you get a C, or if you have to withdraw from a course or two throughout your time in college. That’s why I am more of a fan of switching out the saying for the B letter grade instead. Doing your work on time and showing up to class will make the academic side of college less stressful, and will guarantee success at getting that degree the college experience is all about.
- Go Crazy: Add a Minor!
Adding a minor, or even another major, could be a really good idea. While your bachelors degree is the main thing you’re attending a college or university for, often you still have to take gen eds or free elective courses to complete it. This is a great spot to fill in minors, as usually minor courses can double up with gen eds with usually only a small amount of extra to potentially take. It will take you the same amount of time to graduate usually, and it could be an opportunity to still have a part of you you love in your college academics that you don’t get to fulfill with your majors. For example, I am a huge acting nerd. My second dream behind publishing a book would be to become a movie or TV star. However, it didn’t seem like the financially best idea to pursue an entire theater degree when I was considering what my major would be. Kutztown University actually has a Performance and Storytelling minor through the Communications department, and I was hesitant to pick it up, but ultimately decided it was a good idea because it would be a nice buffer between English and Professional Writing heavy courses. I love theater, so being able to develop that more in college is really nice, even if not as a whole degree. I could also add another minor in History, as I’d only need three courses for it, which would bring out the side of me that is a history buff. I am not sure on that one in a way, but this is why thinking of adding a degree is a great idea. It could make you stand out more to have a bachelor’s degree and a few minors, or two bachelor degrees and a minor.
- Majors. More like a Major Headache.
Speaking of minors, and majors, it is a good idea to keep in mind you don’t have to stick with what you originally applied for. I changed my major before I even got here. Sort of. I was originally going to do English and History, but I learned more about the Professional Writing program and decided to double dip English degrees instead. It is important to think about careers when you pick your major, but it doesn’t have to be the main thing. You don’t have to go into STEM to be successful. While it may seem that way with fear-mongering everywhere about pursuing liberal arts degrees or art degrees, degrees of this kind are needed in society. As a double English major, I might not necessarily have the most direct line for a career, but so many jobs need people with good written communication skills. If you’re struggling to pick between two passions of yours for a decision on a major, and have to pick only one, that is when it can be good to bring in those issues. If you want to be an Engineer or a Screenplay Writer equally, you could then move on to comparing both degrees and choose which one best suits your future life financially and geographically. It’s okay if it changes, and it is okay if it changes several times.
- Achieving your Heimat
In my German Comics in English course, we discussed the German word Heimat a lot as a concept. Heimat does not translate the best to English, but it is a word that describes something you belong to such as your hometown, your new college or university, your family, or a friend group, and a certain feeling that comes from that. Everyone instantly assumes the choice you picked would automatically become your heimat. When I first toured Kutztown, it had a vibe of something that could be like that German term, as it felt like a place I was meant for. However, I think incoming freshmen often make the mistake of assuming it will instantly be perfect. I assumed I would come here and immediately start making friends, as I had all the right plans for that. I joined an online community, the KU Discord, which was a good start at meeting people, I had a roommate I thought I’d share a lot of friend group connections with and I seemed to click with, and I had plans to become involved on campus such as going to events and joining clubs that suited my character as a person.
However, I felt stuck in the acquaintance zone with a lot of people, and I felt like I had no friends here at all my first semester. I wasn’t necessarily sad about it, as I began to just accept maybe it would be my life here to just not give a fuck and to get my degree. I was satisfied with that. Others wouldn’t be, but I have a strong willpower and a capability to be just content with everything. I wasn’t sad at all about that-okay maybe a little-but this semester, my second, is when I think I have finally started finding my heimat more here. Things really do not click right away, even as much as you think it would. It’s important to keep in mind you can make fresh starts even somewhere you’ve been a while. I’ve finally managed to find some friends that weren’t my professors. I have people to sit with in the cafeteria unless I just really want to go eat alone. I have people to go to the library with. It is great, and it didn’t happen right away. You can find your heimat in a place even outside of your first year. Of course, it is not a bad idea to transfer if you’re really unhappy, as that might be the best choice to do, but keep in mind that it does take some time.
- Class Selection
Class selection is usually always stressful as we all want our perfect schedule. It can become nail-biting to check your course shopping cart everyday to see 5 more students signed up before you. It is important to make back up schedules for this reason, as you might not get what you want. This is okay because you have plenty of semesters left to take courses you need. If a class fills up, do not be afraid to ask a professor if they’d let you into the course if you desperately want that specific one. The worst they can say is, again, No.
- Take care of Yourself
This is perhaps the most important piece of advice here. If you are struggling in any way to take care of yourself, it is best to start prioritizing that. You can’t function at your best to get your degree if you aren’t taking care of yourself, whether that’s mental or physical. I know it is not the easiest thing to do, but you should try to care for yourself. Sometimes pushing through just makes it worse. You will feel better, more energized for classes, friends, clubs, and activities if you’re taking care of yourself. It’s always okay to ask for help.
- Don’t Go Home Too Much
It is hard to feel a sense of heimat if you are always running out the door. It is okay to go home to take some time off every once in a while, but it can create bad habits if you’re going home every weekend especially if that weekend stay keeps extending past and causes you to miss class. I know the weekend can be very boring sometimes on campuses, especially when it starts to get cold and miserable so there’s less events, but there’s always things you can find to do, and staying on campus keeps you more focused on what you are there for. If I were to go home before finishing all my due assignments if I didn’t finish them early (for instance, some of my essays are due finals week but I don’t have to stay for it) I would totally forget about them faster than if I were here. Being here on campus keeps me grounded. Being on campus for longer periods of time makes you more independent too compared to always being home all of the time if you’re meant to be living on campus.
- Have Fun and Explore New Things
It is important to keep an open mind to your new life as a college student, and part of that is having fun and trying new things. Sign up for a composition conference even if you’re not used to reading your work to try to get new skills. Agree to go on a bus trip to NYC or Philly or another city near your campus to go somewhere and do things you’ve never done before on your own. Start working out if you want or walking around your campus. Push past your comfort zones as now is a safe and encouraging time to do it. Learn how to be yourself, and have fun while doing it. Remember people believe in you, including myself, and that you can succeed in college. You will do great, so take some deep breaths, and strap in for the ride. Keep your arms and legs inside of this vehicle at all times.