The Exponent’s dos and don'ts of college life

Welcome Bobcats! With the first three weeks of classes nearly over, the fall semester is officially in full swing, and you all — hopefully — have begun settling into your college experience. 

This article goes out to the new kids on the proverbial block: the freshmen, here to grace MSU with a new generation of Bobcat spirit. Let's be honest — college can be scary, especially your first year when the world is entirely open, and things tend to move fast. So, let us here at the Exponent slow it down for you and offer some words of advice. 

While some of us on the editorial team have been around longer than others, we’ve all learned a thing or two during our time at MSU, and each of us has a unique perspective on college life that we’re excited to share. 

It's somewhat of a given, but ultimately, this is your life and you should live it any way you’d like. However, if you’re interested in hearing about some regrets, insights and preferences from those who have been there and done that, take a breather and read on.

Kendall Becker — Sports and Outdoors Editor — Sophomore 

WM: “If you could do it all again, what do you think you would have done differently?”

KB: “If I had to do something different, I think it would be sitting next to people I didn't know in class.”

Becker, who is now a sophomore at MSU, spoke about the importance of putting yourself out there as soon as possible. “[My] first day, I'd sit down and just sit by myself, or sit a seat away from someone, instead of sitting next to someone and introducing myself,” she said.

She went on to describe a piece of advice her father gave her before she began college. “You can do things just because they make you happy. You don't have to [just] do things because they fit into a four-year plan or anything.”

WM: “What would be some examples of those things?”

KB: “The Exponent, I guess.”

Becker is currently a microbiology student and, therefore, views her work at the Exponent not as a means to an end — some higher academic goal — but as an end unto itself. 

KB: “[The Exponent] does not really fit into my microbiology plan, surprisingly.”

WM: “But you still do it?”

KB: “I still do it because I enjoy it.”

Tatiana Means — Opinion Editor — Sophomore

WM: “​​What is one thing, or what are some things that you wish you knew when you started college?”

TM: “I think a big one is taking advantage of all the resources you have.”

Means, a sophomore studying psychology, went on to describe several resources offered to students by the University, including electronics for loan at the Renne Library, free access to Adobe Creative Cloud and the MSU Writing Center. 

They also described the importance of seeking out financial aid. “I think when you're first going to college, it's really easy to not worry as much about the financial side of it — because you might not realize how much it might build up,” they said.

Means went on to discuss the importance of focusing on what you actually want out of college, and not feeling beholden to other people's conceptions of what a good college life looks like. 

“I remember being really insecure because I didn't really make many friends, and I wasn't going to parties, and I wasn't doing all of these social things that people stereotypically associate with college,” they said. “But then, as I got older, I realized most people don't have that experience. Most people are going to school just to study and get stuff done, and you should focus less on this idea of what you think you need versus what you actually want.”

Molly Houser — Culture Editor — Junior

WM: “What would you recommend people do to branch out and meet more people?”

MH: “CatsConnect is your best friend in that situation. Take a look at all of the things that MSU has to offer — all the different clubs and organizations on campus.”

Houser, a junior studying human development and family science, recommended that students explore clubs that correspond with their college and also encouraged people to step outside of their comfort zone. 

“I just think it's really important to branch out, get out of your comfort zone, get involved in clubs and organizations that speak to you,” she said.

WM: “What is one thing that you didn't find yourself worrying about at all, at least at first, but realized later on that you should have worried about?”

MH: “What immediately comes to mind is finding a balance between academics and your life outside of school.”

Houser — who spends a lot of time on campus — said she sometimes finds it difficult to take a break, but believes learning to chill out is essential. “It's important to have those self-care skills and those support systems outside of school,” she said. “It's important to take a little break, and do things that you think are fun.”

Connor McLean — News Editor — Junior

WM:  What's one thing, or maybe a myriad of things, that you wish you knew when you started college?

CM: “I would not spend as much time with my roommate.”

McLean, a junior studying business management and computer science, said he wishes he had branched out a little more. “Go make friends. You have someone that lives with you, and you will get tired of them eventually,” he said. “You don't have to like your roommate, or be friends with them or hang out with them. You just have to be able to live with them or be content to move out.”

WM: What's one thing that you worried about a lot that you didn’t need to worry about?

CM: “I had a really solid friend group in high school, and I worried about kind of finding that same sense of, I don't know, connection or belonging, maybe.”

McLean recommends that you shouldn’t focus too much on trying to replicate your childhood friend group and instead prioritize exploring a new chapter in your life. “I think that you should not recreate any part of your life. You should create,” he said.

As the interview wrapped up, McLean offered some final words of advice. “The best, and I would say, only way to get everything you want out of your college experience is to be incredibly open about what you're willing to do. Say yes most of the time,” he said.

Amanda Fulton — Editor-in-Chief — Senior

WM: “If you could do it all again — go back freshman year, first day — what would you have done differently? What would you have done the same?

AF: “I think I would have still done the majors I'm doing, I think I would have still joined the clubs that I'm in and the organizations that I'm in, but I think I would have done more to diversify what I'm doing — diversify the experiences that I'm having.”

When Fulton isn’t busy overseeing the Exponent, she spends a great deal of time devoted to her two majors, English writing and global studies, both of which she is only two semesters away from completing. According to her, while these efforts were worthwhile and fulfilling, she wishes she had spent more time pursuing her interests. 

“I've just done so much stuff, and that's great, but when you look back at all the stuff you've done, it's just stuff, and all the days that have gone by while you're waiting for something better to happen— that is your life,” she said.

WM: “What’s one lesson you'd want people to derive from an article like this, that you think is meaningful?”

AF: “I would hope that everyone who reads the article leaves feeling a little bit more empowered to be themselves. I feel like college is a place where you have the opportunity to go through immense self-discovery, but you can only go through immense self-discovery if you allow yourself to.”

College is a lot like the rest of your life: You’ll never really learn exactly what to do, but you’ll certainly learn what not to do. You’ll fail and you’ll fail again until you don’t, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.  

It passes by quicker than you think, so don’t waste time worrying about the wrong things. It is your life after all, and you can do whatever you want if you’re willing to actually try. It sounds cliché for a reason — because it's true — the flipside of fear is opportunity, and you’ll never find out where your world truly ends if you’re unwilling to look.

Good luck with your year, Bobcats — it’ll be a great one.