Freshman year is an unforgettable and exciting time in one’s life. This holds true especially at the University of Georgia. I am currently wrapping up the end of my first year here at UGA, and I feel that I now know a thing or two about the keys to a successful first year. Freshman year is all about choices, which is why I am going to highlight a few basic freshman concerns.
One of the main things that concerns many incoming students, especially the ladies, is the size of the dormitories that all freshmen must live in. I was pretty skeptical about sharing a small room with another person and having to walk down the hall every time I needed to use the restroom. However, to my surprise, it is not as bad as one would think. Each dorm on campus has different amenities and characteristics, but I would suggest to all new students to try to live in one of the three high-rise dorms. Brumby, Creswell, and Russell dormitories all stand over eight stories tall and act as home away from home to thousands of students. These buildings are relatively close to all of the dining halls and main campus areas, and there is always something going on around them.
Dorms can also help you make tons of friends. Living in a building with that many people immerses you in the college life. Moving away from home for the first time can have some intense affects on a freshman. The friends you make are going through the same transition and it is easier to relate to people when they are going through the same thing. Making friends is a vital part to having a good college experience. The friends I made helped me have an easier transition, and luckily, I never experienced any sort of homesickness. My father has always told me, “The friends you make in college will be the friends you have to rest of your life.”
Around college campuses, there is always ways to get involved. Getting involved in campus life can be overwhelming, but it can also be a very enriching experience. Whether students choose to join a fraternity or a sorority or join one of the many clubs or organizations, it really helps with the adjustment from high school to college. I decided to join a fraternity during my first semester, and I have loved every second of it. The memories that I have already made will stay with me for the rest of my life and that is what I believe college is all about. Also, many of the things you are able to get involved with on campus help give back to the community. There are many philanthropic clubs you can take part in such as UGA HEROS, UGA Miracle, and UGA Relay for Life. Such organizations always have fun things going on to help get people involved. These organizations are great things to get involved in because it feels good to know you are helping enrich the community that you are a part of.
One thing I would recommend to all freshmen is the Freshman College Summer Experience. Freshman College Summer Experience is a summer program that allows upcoming UGA freshman to enroll in classes for one month during the summer. In addition, these students are allowed to move straight in to their dorms that they will be living in during the fall. Students are required to take two classes which is a very good way to give them a head start for the fall. The program offers usually six different basic core classes and then all students take “Learning to Learn.” This program forces everyone to get involved and meet new people by averaging certain social events and activities as ten percent of the grade you will receive in “Learning to Learn”. During my time at “freshco”, I participated in a trapeze class, a mystery solving night, and tie-dying t-shirts, which are activities I may never have done otherwise. You are encouraged to meet new people this way, and many of the people I met during “freshco” are still some of my closest friends today.
Freshman College also helps expose you to the rigor of the classes at the University of Georgia. High school may have been hard, but college is a whole different story. I know many people preach this throughout your high school career, but if you are like me, you never really believed them. When I was only taking six hours during the summer, it seemed like a struggle to keep up. I was constantly reading assignments, writing papers, and studying for tests. It was a true wake up call from my previous education experience, but I am glad I got to get a taste of it before fall rolled around.
Whether you are taking six hours or sixteen hours, academics are the reason a person goes to college and grades always need to be placed in front of everything else. Good grades during one’s freshman year are a crucial foundation for the rest of his or her college career. It sets the stage for your grade point average, which becomes very important when deciding on applying to different graduate schools or specific programs in the university. Also, bad grades can force you to have to withdraw from a class. Each student only has four withdrawals they can use at UGA before you start getting a grade of withdrawal fail (otherwise known as an F). I personally had to drop chemistry during the fall semester of my freshman year, and I am already feeling the repercussions of my drop. It affects the HOPE scholarship and any financial aid. During freshman year, it is best if you do not have to use any of your drops.
The University of Georgia is my favorite place in the entire world. I have loved every second of my freshman year, and I wish it were not coming to an end so quickly. If I could go back and relive my freshman year with all of the things I know now, I would use all of my new found knowledge in many of the situations I have encountered this year.
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