If you were like me and got the dreaded letter last summer that said you were accepted for the SPRING 2011(or as in my case, 2010) semester at Northeastern instead of the Fall, the past month has probably been a bit of a struggle for you.
For those of you not in-the-know, JanStarts (or Spring Admits, as I like to call myself) are freshman students who have been selected by Northeastern to begin in the Spring instead of the Fall.
Although JanStarts are often just as of strong candidates as the other accepted freshmen, due to space conflicts on campus (people coming and going for co-op, study abroad, etc.) the university asks them to begin classes in January instead. Some choose to attend NUin, an international study abroad program developed specifically for students who are starting in the Spring. Essentially, you start off college studying abroad; the program is fantastic and a great way to meet other JanStarts, but it is pricy and many, like me, cannot afford it.
Campus can be a very overwhelming and lonely place when you are a first-time college student, especially when you start during second semester in the middle of a harsh Boston winter. I am from Seattle, and moved to Boston last January; my first semester here was filled with jumping between new “friends” and getting to know the school the hard way, through trial and error. I struggled a lot, but a year later, I’m happy to say that I have finally found my place here on campus.
So regardless of whether you participated in the NUin program, have friends already on campus or are simply on your own, here are some important tips for making the most of your spring semester on campus.
Talk to people in your classes. I cannot stress this one enough. For the most part, you will either have classes with other freshmen or people in your major, both groups of people you will be spending a lot of time with over the next four, five, or six years. Get someone’s number so that you can study together. It’s really a win/win because you gain a friend and you both get an opportunity to push your grades up!
Absolutely, absolutely participate in the RA programs going on in your building. It is the most helpful thing in the world to have friends livinv in your building. I got to know a group of girls who were living on St. Stephen’s Street (while I was in International Village) and the friendship didn’t end up working out, mainly because of the distance. Once I got to know people living in IV with me the semester started turning around. I had people to hang out with, eat with and go out with on the weekends who were just down the hall. The RAs work very hard on their programs, and for the most part they are free. So check your email, be on the lookout for fliers and get involved.
Utilize your common room. Another great way to meet people in your building is hanging out in the common rooms. They are a fantastic place to do homework, as well as just to hang out in so that you are not constantly stuck in your room. Other people go there to do the same thing, so start a conversation and make a new friend! All common rooms are fair game too, so hop around the building and get to know as many new people as possible.
Go to as many different clubs as you can. Everyone says this to new freshman, I know. And I especially know that it is easier said than done. It took me until I came back for the fall to follow this tip, and it was the best decision I have ever made. I started going to Progressive Student Alliance meetings (a great group of people who are doing fantastic things for the community) and then did sorority recruitment, which quite honestly changed my life at Northeastern. It might take a while and a few different clubs before you find people that you click with, but I promise they are out there, you just have to look. If you are nervous about going to a meeting by yourself, don’t be! Clubs are more than welcoming to new members.
Don’t run away from the problem. If you live in the Boston area, or even if you don’t but go home often, my advice for you is to stay on campus. I knew many people who would use their weekends to go back home where it is familiar, or to visit their friends at other schools. This will not solve anything, and you are just running away from the problem. Stay on campus as much as possible. The more time you spend here the more chances you have to meet new people.
Introduce yourself to people on your hall. This is one that I wish I would have done. Knock on doors and introduce yourself; maybe ask someone to get dinner. For the most part people will be happy to get to know a new person on their hall. Last year I did not talk to single person on my hall besides my suite mate, and this year I know every single one of my hall mates; some of them are my closest friends on campus and I did not even know them in September! If you’re willing to take the initiative to be outgoing, it can absolutely pay off.
Learn how to eat in the dining hall alone. I know this seems like a weird tip, but I found myself stressing every week about who I was going to eat each of my 10 meals with. Obviously it is a good idea to eat with other people, but after I figured out how to eat alone, things got significantly better. I got my homework done in the dining hall, and had more time for other things, which leads to my last tip.
Do not get sucked into the internet vortex. I actually got this tip from The Naked Roomate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlen Cohen. But even though I read the book before coming to school, it still happened to me. It is easy to spend hours on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Flickr, hiding away in your room, but it will only further isolate yourself. Limit yourself to only checking Facebook once or twice a day and get out of the dorm. Go to the gym instead (once I started doing this I lost the Freshman 15 instead of gaining it), walk around campus or get to know your new city. There are millions of things to do, so log off and get out into the real world.