Dear
freshmen,
I’m writing with the purpose to share my
experience as a college student and how I managed to adjust to the change and
succeed through the challenges. I hope after reading my letter, you will have a
better understanding from my experience of what college is like. Personally,
when I first got my acceptance letters from the colleges I applied to, I
wondered whether college resembled what’s shown in the movies, or if the classes
were pure lecture halls. Going to college for the first time is intimidating
for freshmen students because it’s a new experience, although it can eventually
go away.
Indeed, I was excited when I first got
my acceptance letters from the colleges I applied to because I was looking forward
to a new journey. On the other hand, I started to be scared of the idea of going
to college because I heard rumors from my friends and cousins. They claimed
that college would be very different from high school, such as the classrooms
being the size of a high school auditorium or having dress codes. Furthermore,
the rumors I heard from my cousins and friends made me less interested in going
to college because my fear of attending college started to grow. However,
rumors like the ones they made can make college intimidating for freshmen
because they start to have a scary idea of how college can be like.
Once I began attending the university I
chose, California State University Los Angeles, I realized that the rumors I
heard of were nothing more than that, rumors. My fear of going to college
started to fade away because I met new people, such as professors and tutors
that gave me reasons to enjoy college. One of the reasons that these people
took me to enjoy college was that they taught me that I’m not on my own; when I
need help with my assignments, they are there to help me. I felt like I was on
my own when choosing my classes, yet there are advisors who assist you on
planning your schedule, so you won’t struggle on what courses to take. Once you
socialize with people on campus, you realize that the intimidation is no longer
a limit to succeed.
In addition, there are programs for you to join,
such as The First Year Experience, which can help you to meet new people. The
First Year Experience helps freshmen get their classes on time and become aware
of the events that are coming up at Cal State LA. My friends and I joined The
First Year Experience because we were curious of what this program offers. This
program was extremely helpful for my friends and I because we were aware of the
events that they were having in CSULA. College experiences can be intimidating
for a freshman’s initiating college year because these experiences can impact a
freshman’s life influencing it in a positive or negative way, but depends on
how they decide to act upon their time at CSULA.
I understand the struggles of learning
to adapt within an unfamiliar environment and the internal conflict we face
when having to explore outside our comfort zone. Once you start to join
programs, sports, or even meet new people, the process facilitates along the
way. Having the advantage of planning ahead allows you to have one less thing
to worry about. There are courses that can be tough for you, but there are
tutorial centers or professors who are willing to help you with your assignments.
I know college can sound scary at first but in the end it becomes an experience
and builds up memories just like in your high school years.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Carbarin
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