Every year, Rollins welcomes nervous freshmen from around the country who are anxious and excited to begin their next chapter. After a year being the oldest grade in high school, freshmen go back to the bottom. As a current sophomore, here are 4 of my best tips for your freshman year!
Keep Your Door Open
One of the first thing’s my Dad said to me during my first week of school was to keep my door open whenever I was free. Especially during a pandemic year, it was harder to meet people when the majority of our classes were virtual. Keeping my door open always helped me find someone to go to meals with and was a great way to get to know the people who I would be living near for the year.
Get to Know Your Professors
Coming from a small college prep school before Rollins, the norm was to take advantage of opportunities to get to know your teachers. Knowing that, I made sure to continue to visit when I needed help on an assignment, but also beyond that. Not only are your professors here to support you academically, they’re here to help you figure out what you want to pursue after college. With years of experience in their fields, they can provide connections to a wide variety of resources and career openings.
Join Clubs That You Originally Didn’t Consider
Each year, Rollins hosts club fairs and events with a wide variety of clubs from ski club, to Disney club, and everything in between. As a sophomore, I highly recommend attending even if you think you’ve already found your niche. Not only are clubs and events a way to help you academically, but they can help you form connections that you wouldn’t have otherwise. Without attending the club fair last year, I most likely wouldn’t have joined Rollins’ Her Campus chapter and wouldn’t have met some of the most incredible, passionate, and fierce girls out there.
Keep in Touch with Friends from Home
Even though you’re living your new life and hopefully enjoying new experiences, make sure to set aside some time for people from home. Many of them helped you become who you are today and would enjoy hearing about your new life. I usually find myself calling friends and loved ones during the weekends and it helps separate the long periods between visits.