It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Freshman year is a year of growth in many ways. I certainly feel like a different person from the scared girl who got lost in Kelley the first day of school. A large part of that growth was due to mentorship from older members in WiB, so we asked our wonderful wibbers to share some advice for incoming freshman.
On finding a community
“ I went to several on campus events that I was interested in. This helped me tremendously find my belonging on campus it helped me find WIB :) Also, the free food and shirts were a plus”.
-Alaina Powell
“One of the best pieces of advice I got was to follow your heart and pursue your passions. Especially as a freshman, it’s easy to get caught up with the activities of others and in short, it can create unhealthy anxiety. Remember to be unconventional and follow your interests. Personal example I remember is coming to an advisor nervous that I was not doing case competitions; and she told me this and a month later I got involved with an organization that I could make an impact in - CEWIT!”
- Tara Aggarwal
On finding friends
“Don’t be scared to DM people on Instagram or reach out to other freshman! Everyone’s in the same boat and one of my best friends actually Dmd me on instagram to get lunch and now we’re so close!”
- Tess Viola
“Be open to new people! One of my closest friends is someone i was SO unsure about when I first met her but is now such a huge part of my life. Class groups, Gresh, clubs - people are everywhere and always worth meeting!”
- Annie Hockel
On doing well in school
“Also just definitely quality or quantity with your involvements. I thinks it’s easy to get in the mindset that you need to be doing everything to be successful and you really don’t at all. You just need to be doing a couple things well. So choose your involvements wisely because they become a really big part of your life”
- Jenna Cochran
“ Take classes at your local community college over the summer to lighten your load (especially calc, finite, macro, micro)”
-Tess Viola
“One suggestion about community college classes- be REALLY careful because Kelley has switched which classes it will and won’t allow to transfer! So some of what we did is no longer allowed. Just plan to meet with an advisor and discuss ahead of time!”
-Molly McGuire
“Take the accounting help class if enrolled in A100 (it’s called EDUC-X 152) and the only homework is to do the optional homework Vivian gives”
-Tess Viola
On making the most of freshman year
“Cherish my free time and use it for my hobbies (volunteering, being outside, going to dance classes, reading) with new and old friends! Everything really ramps up after freshman year, and I didn’t realize how much free time I had back then compared to now”
-Sophie Wang
As you can see, we all had different experiences. You too will forge your own path, make your own mistakes, and come out the other side changed. Hopefully, these tips will help you along that (long) journey. Lastly, a huge thank you to every wibber who went out of their way to share some advice today and every day after.