Freshman Year in Review

I can't believe that my first year of college will be over in just 2 weeks! Where did all of the time go? It seems like just recently I was moving into my dorm room, saying good-bye to my mom, and feeling so excited/nervous for our first cross country practice! But this year has been one of the best school years I can remember- thanks to the friends I've met, the activities I've been involved in, and just the welcoming, positive atmosphere of Luther and Decorah.

So I thought I'd make a short list of what I'd do over again and what I'd change if I had the opportunity to redo my first year here at Luther.

Do's

1. Get involved! Whether it's in choir, sports, intramurals, bible studies, or some other club on campus, participating in an activity is the easiest way to meet people with similar interests as you. All year long there are advertisements for fun events on campus, so take advantage of them.

2. Get to know your roommate(s) and the people living on your floor. They're the ones you come home to each night so you want to be on friendly terms with them. They're the ones you can go to for help on homework, when you're bored, if you need to talk, or if you need a ride to Wal-Mart. Dorm life is a lot more fun if you're included in all of the birthday celebrations and floor socials. Make an effort to know who you're living with.

3. Go to class! It's pretty clear that if you come to Luther you want a good education. Make your tuition worth it and actually go to class. Sometimes it's hard when you had a late night and don't really want to get up for an 8 AM class, but remember that you'll most likely have time later for a little nap. The professors are all very knowledgeable and the classes are small enough that they know when someone isn't there. Show the professors respect by attending class and be confident that you'll learn a lot from them too.

4. Buy textbooks online if possible, it can save you some money. I know after first term when I had gotten most of my books from the Luther bookshop and then went to sell them back at the end of the term, I felt like I got ripped off. The money you get if you see them back to the bookshop isn't a grand amount, so it will be beneficial to just pay less in the first place.

5. Have an idea of what classes you might want to take before you talk to your advisor and before it's your time to register. Advisors are great in helping you get the general requirements covered, but freshmen advisors get randomly assigned to you, so they most likely won't be experts in the field that you're thinking of majoring in. It's helpful to look through the course offerings before meeting with your advisor, because he or she may not know when certain courses are offered or what the normal sequence of courses it.

6. Branch out: try new things, meet new people, explore Decorah, and be yourself.

Redo's

1. I would apply for a 2-person room in Brandt instead of a 3-person, just so my room wouldn't always have someone in it and there's additional space to have a futon or place for friends to come and hang out.

2. I wouldn't sign up for 8AM classes every day of the week in February when it's dark and getting out of bed is hard enough as it is.

3. I would apply for a job on campus so that I could have some income. Granted, there's not a whole lot that I need to spend cash on, but it'd be nice just to know that I was getting paid in case I wanted to go eat in town, or buy something at WalMart.

That's my year in review. I'm sure I'll learn a lot more next year and the years to follow, but right now I feel right at home at Luther and I wouldn't trade this past year for anything. It was great.