For those entering college, starting this new stage of life can be a daunting and stressful experience. Luckily, there are strategies that new students can use to help adjust to the college lifestyle and be successful.

Understanding that freshman year will be a stressful time regardless of your background or major is important, but it is also useful to remember that there are many ways to reach out and get involved on campus.

Some people who can best help students beginning here at WSU are academic advisers. Alicia Woodard, Jordan Keithley and Alma Delia Rocha are advisers in the General Studies Program at WSU.

Advisers can help point students in the right direction and connect them with people who can answer their important questions about academics, social life or other parts of being at WSU.

“There’s this component of feeling really overwhelmed by all the options on campus, all the options and all the offices,” Woodard said, “and when you are open with your academic adviser, we’re able to connect you with the right resource, rather than having to navigate that whole process on your own.”

Those who are starting school here at WSU should be willing to join clubs, get involved in intermural sports, explore different classes and meet new people. Almost everyone who is starting college is going through the same uncertainty and feeling of unfamiliarity, so new freshmen should reach out to the wealth of options provided on campus.

Woodard said her biggest piece of advice for new students would be to arrive with an open mind.

“This is the moment to embrace the opportunities at your fingertips and really squeeze every last drop out of them.”

Many students begin at WSU with a certain major or field, or idea set in their mind. While it’s good to have a goal, it’s also very important to remember that college is unpredictable and a period of self-discovery. Students should not be afraid to jump in to new things and explore the new opportunities offered at university.

“[Students] get a little too focused on making the perfect choice for something or doing all the right ‘things,’ ” Keithley said, “instead of just taking opportunities and trying new things.”

It is important to not lose sight of academics in the first year. Many students, Rocha said, do not focus on classes, especially those outside their major.
“That arts class that you didn’t pay that much attention to still counts,” Rocha said, “so pay attention to what your grades are. No one should care more about your grades than you.”

This is another part of college where reaching out to resources is important. Students who don’t know where they are in their degree should speak to their adviser. Those who need help with a class or subject should talk to a tutor or professor. Getting involved in education creates more academically successful students and more rounded and better connected members of the school community.

The best time to form these habits is freshman year. To those beginning their career at WSU, keep an open mind, stay flexible, be focused and put yourself out there.