Hello New Bees! Welcome to St. Ambrose University. First of all, congratulations on making it this far! I hope you’re ready for this fresh start and all that Ambrose has to offer! I’d like to walk you through a few things that I learned during my four years at Ambrose before you get all snuggled into your dorm and forget to come out of it until it’s too late!
1. Get Involved!
I believe that your Ambrose experience comes from what you’re involved in. Keep in mind, though, this isn’t high school – it’s really hard to be involved in EVERYTHING. A lot of those clubs meet at similar times and on top of that they’re going to ask quite a bit from you since your involvement usually relates to your major. I chose a few things to take part in and did them wholeheartedly. I was part of the first ever marching band on Ambrose’s campus because I enjoyed playing music, I wanted to be involved and make friends, but to be honest, it had nothing to do with my major in public relations. Now here I am four years later and I’m doing the media & marketing for the band, drumline, and the newly added colorguard, all by myself!
2. Your syllabus is your bible
Obviously you need to go to class. Every class. The thing that is going to have all your due dates, office hours, and rules will be your syllabus. Syllabus week always seems like something you can zone out of. If you did zone that out or didn’t go to class during sylly week back on August 21st & 22nd, then you need to reread that syllabus. Put your due dates, tests, school breaks (fall break, Thanksgiving break, etc.) and any other important dates in your planner so you’re not surprised when something comes up. To be perfectly honest, a lot of professors forget to tell you about due dates and expect you to know what is coming up.
3. Make friends in your major, in your clubs, in your dorm building
There’s nothing wrong with having too many connections. Eventually, a couple of those friends will be busy and rather than locking yourself in your room alone you should be able to call up another group and find something to do to make new memories!
4. Set aside time to study & find your study spot
Now is the time to find your favorite spot on campus and to find the best way to study! It’s not finals week or midterms yet so you need to know how to prepare for when they do come. You need to know how you’ll remember facts because college tests are different than high school tests. Also, finding your space now and using it will guarantee that you’ll have it when you need it.
I hope these tips will help guide your college ride as best as possible. Rely on these tips when times get tough and be sure to take notes as you go along for future new bees that will need your college expertise!