Coming into Illinois Wesleyan as a transfer student in the Spring was a tough adjustment for me. It was hard arriving at college halfway through the school year and not feeling isolated since I wasn’t coming in with my entire class. In fact, my orientation day only had about 8 other students in attendance.
Whether you’re coming in as a freshman or as a transfer student, starting college can be a struggle. The task of making friends, balancing school work and a social life, and navigating daunting classes can be tough for those who are new. I had never lived away from home before, I knew a total of 3 other people on campus and I spent the first three weeks of the semester sitting in my room unsure of how to branch out. One of the best things I did to turn my experience around was putting myself in situations I wasn’t fully comfortable with and stepping out of my comfort zone.
Making friends can make or break a student’s experience in college. It can be a lonely place if you don’t find a solid group of people you connect with and share values with. But never fear. One of the best things a student can do to find a good group of friends is getting involved on campus. Start by going to the RSO Fair, and sign up for the clubs and organizations that pique your interest. Maybe even try something you don’t think you’ll like because you never know where it might take you.
Signing up for sorority or fraternity recruitment is another quick way to meet people who have similar tastes and values as you. There are multiple types of Greek Life organizations, so you can find people you connect with. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and talk to other students in your classes. Humans love talking about themselves. Ask your peers questions to get to know them better. Complain about the homework together. It’s better to be bold and make a few friends in class than to feel isolated on campus. Everyone is in the same boat
Not having the right balance between school life and social life is another problem new college students can learn to overcome. Setting a schedule is important and it helped me keep track of everything I had going on throughout the week. Find the method that works best for you: notebook planner, Google calendar, a hastily put-together stack of Post-It Notes. Putting other activities and extracurriculars in a calendar, along with class times, can help you get into a steady routine. With less time wondering what is next, there is a time and place to get work done and a time and place for other activities. A schedule also can improve the chances that you don’t miss your classes. You can even set up a calendar reminder to notify you 10 minutes before each class, leading to a smaller chance of forgetting about the class and going back to your dorm for a quick nap that ends up being four hours long, which I have done one too many times.
Navigating college courses efficiently is a learning curve as well. You have more freedom with your schedule, but that comes with more homework and responsibilities outside of the classroom. Illinois Wesleyan student Aidan Morris says, “Everybody is different. Everybody’s niche is different. Find what study method works for you and you will reap the rewards of that once you are an upperclassmen.”
Everyone is different and not all of these tactics may work for you but they worked for me and many of your upperclassman peers when we started at IWU.