Welcome to college!
Now that you are here, we need you to do A, B, C, D……… and you should be
involved in this, that and every other thing…….
Holy crap! Entering college can be overwhelming! Regardless of how much we warn you and tell
you to brace yourself I can guarantee you that you will have a moment where you
feel completely overwhelmed. It may come
in the first day, the first week, the first month or closer to the end of the
first semester, but there will be a time when it seems like there is just too to
handle. In that moment I want you to
pause, take a second to breathe and remember a few things:
IT IS OKAY TO BE FREAKING OUT!!! Everyone has those moments,
its college it’s supposed to be a bit scary.
You are doing something completely new and that can be frightening for
anyone. Again, take a deep breath and
assess the situation. Sometimes our
emotions just get the better of us, but typically there are one or two things
at the root of our panic so try and figure out what those are and you will
better understand how to combat your AAAAAHHHHHHHHH moment.
IT IS GOOD TO ASK FOR HELP!!! Talk to your friends, your
roommate, your professor, whoever you feel comfortable talking too. Try talking to your WEPO mentor or Rover;
that is what we are here for. WEP does
not end after three days, we are a network of support and a community willing
to help! Ask questions, ask for advice,
or just talk with us. Sometimes the best
reassurance is talking to someone who has gone through the same things. With that in mind…
CALL YOUR MOM, DAD, SISTER, BROTHER, GRANDMA OR SOME OTHER
PERSON FROM HOME!!! Sometimes you just
need someone who knows you to tell you that it will be alright. You have people who care for you, and
although they may be a bit further than before, they are still reachable.
Now, here are a few things to help prevent or diminish that
freak out moment:
ALMOST NOTHING IS MANDATORY!!! While some things are highly recommended, you
are entering a period of your life when you get to choose. Should you attend class, yes (you really really should), but ultimately the choice is up to
you. Should you come to your RA’s
meetings, again yes, but if you miss once or twice they will not kill you. If you need to miss something, it will not be
the end of the world. Do try though to
understand that some opportunities come along less often than others.
PUT SCHOOL FIRST!!!
Clubs, involvement, research, jobs; there will be other things in your
life besides school, and sometimes they can be very important. Just remember what you are paying thousands
of dollars for…
YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY!!! You will receive countless emails daily
asking for your attention. Club
meetings, career events and opportunities, research, jobs and so much
more. Just remember, pay attention to
the ones which are a bit rarer so make sure you balance your needs and
wants. You may be able to put something
off for a semester or a year so once again, breathe.
IT IS NOT THE END OF
THE WORLD!!! One bad test, one
missed class, one skipped event, one jerk of a person; none of these things
will kill you or even hurt your chances of success. While it is important to try and make smart
choices, you are capable of recovering from anything if you are willing to
fight through.
I hope I am not being too dramatic, I just want you to
understand that we have all stood where you now stand and you are not
alone. Remember, pause, take a deep
breath and try and relax, it will turn out okay in the end.
Jackie Trautman is a sophomore majoring in Mechanical
Engineering and is a Rover for WEPO’16!
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