Defeating the nerves of the first weeks of college

Welcome to campus, class of 2024. During the middle of a global pandemic, you are blazing a new path on your own. Freshman year is a time of  exciting events, including moving into the dorms, meeting new people  and getting to live on your own. These are memories that will stick with you both during college and for the rest of your life. 

While you may be rightfully stressed right now, I am here today to give you some advice on how to meet people, make friends and do well in classes during your first semester of college. 

First, when living in the dorms, there are a lot of opportunities to meet people. Don’t be afraid to plan events and invite people from your dorm floor to tag along. Also, say yes to events that are happening on your dorm floor. You may be worried about meeting people and making friends, but so is everybody else. This is a great time to push yourself outside your comfort zone and go stargazing on Pete’s Hill, float the Madison River, go on a hike up Hyalite, go to one of the many coffee shops in Bozeman or grab a bite at Miller Dining Hall (while staying six feet apart, of course). 

Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to people in your lectures. Having a relationship with the people you sit next to makes classes more fun and nets you potential study partners that you can have the entire time you’re here at MSU. 

Finding a comfortable and distraction-free place to study for assignments may seem simple, but they can be hard to come by. When I lived in the dorms, studying at my desk was impossible. I would get distracted by my roommate, Netflix and napping, so I had to find somewhere without any distractions. The second floor of the library and the third floor of Gaines Hall remain my favorite places to study on campus. Both are places where you can spread out your stuff, and  are near coffee shops (Brewed Awakening and Norms respectively), so you can incentivize your studying. 

College is such a fun and amazing time. Although you may feel overwhelmed now, you will settle in, create lifetime friendships  and discover your own comfortable study spot. This semester may be unique, but the experiences will remain largely the same. Welcome to MSU and have a great year, freshmen.