Juniata Seniors Recall Their Freshman Year
(Posted July 22, 2013)
Share this article:
The first year of college is a critical adjustment. No longer are you walking through a bleak hallway, shuffling through awkward immature teenagers, and anxiously wishing for that final bell to ring to head home. Entering college is an exhilarating feeling, but that is accompanied with nervousness and worries. As the Class of 2017 transition to become Juniata Eagles, we asked upperclassmen reflect on their concerns as freshman and their strategies to find their niche.
Ashlee Fultz '14, Huntingdon, Pa.:
My biggest concern was connecting with people and making friends because I'm living at home. I'm not on campus and I don't have meals to eat with people or things like that. So I made sure that I talked to people in my classes who sat around me and just talked about where we came from. I would go to sporting events with people just to do things and make friends.
Miranda Wales '14, Hollidaysburg, Pa.:
I was worried about making friends, flunking out of school and not getting good grades. Also, I was nervous about going to class and being late so I was really early to everything. At first, I woke up an hour before every class and left a half-hour before every class, which was insane. I met a lot of people on my floor and I became friends with them. I would eat lunch with them and I joined activities.
Asia Barron '14 Brockway, Pa.:
I remember taking CWS (College Writing Seminar) and they had us write our questions down and I remember mine was twhether I was smart enough to be here. My leaders said, 'Even if you don't think you're smart enough, hard work will do it' and there are so many resources to help you. Your professors are there to help you, the Writing Center -- I still use that a lot. Letting me know that you do not have to be a genius to be here was awesome. Just because you get the scores on the SAT does not mean you can handle life here.
Jessica Mills '14 Huntingdon, Pa.:
I was kind of concerned about being a commuter and getting not necessarily the 'full college experience.' Once you start going to classes, you find people the same age as you, or you keep seeing them in the same class as you, and they are freshmen as well. I met other students that were commuters too and joined clubs. For the most part, people are friendly here so it's not hard to make friends.
Justin Bookhammer '14 Williamsburg, Pa.:
I came from a really small school. I graduated with, like, 48 people, so Juniata's small, but it's still bigger than what I'm used to. I was kind of worried that I wouldn't fit in. I thought I wasn't going to be ready for Juniata, but after taking CWS I realized I fit in perfectly. Inbound helped a lot because it allowed me to make new friends.
Corey Lacey '14, Juniata Online Journalist
Our readers respond...
Be the first to provide a response.
Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.