How upperclassmen can facilitate success for underclassmen
Every year as summer winds down, former high school seniors from around the country eagerly anticipate their freshman year of college. For many incoming students, their first year symbolizes the chance to escape from the protection and shadow of their parents to forge their own lives and make their own decisions. It is also a season of learning, a time for new students to expand their minds to better understand the world around them. For me, freshman year was dedicated to discovering and creating a home for myself at Wofford.
As any senior could tell you, the Wofford experience is what you make of it. Our school comes with customizable options, a four-year choose-your-own-adventure book: interim, study abroad, various majors and minors, concentrations, organizations for every interest and affiliation and 1,700 students who want to do great things in the world. That is an overwhelming number of possibilities for someone without a support system to navigate these four years. So, I am writing this article to direct returning students toward ways that they can support the new students on our beautiful campus.
I interviewed four freshmen about their goals and excitement for this year to understand what the Class of 2023 wants out of college. Each of them pointed to a different aspect of Wofford’s culture.
Jack Kelly, ’23, said, “I’m excited to get to know everyone at Wofford and to build a family of friends that I will not only have for the next four years but for the rest of my life.”
Patrick Welmaker, ’23, said, “I’m looking forward to meeting new people and starting to get a feel for that college life.”
Em Ellison, ’23, said, “I’m a first-gen student, so [I’m excited about] basically everything. I want to discover who I am and how I’m going to impact the world around me by loving others and experiencing new things.”
Jackson Hill, ’23, said, “My goal is to become a better time manager and student.”
Now, I have three pieces of advice for returning students based on these first-year students’ goals for this year:
First, invite them into your community. Every single reader of this article is likely to have a network of friends that they enjoy spending time with. Build friendships with these new students and stop and say hey and introduce yourself to them when you see them walking around campus. Contribute to the welcoming atmosphere on campus.
Second, encourage these new students. They are going to have big dreams and plans for their lives, and college is going to be harder than most of them are expecting. When you’re talking with a freshman, remind them that they are more than capable of passing their chemistry class and that a bad grade is not the end of their college career.
Finally, help them where they need it. No one should be expected to have all the answers the moment they walk on campus. So, help the first-years figure out how to live on their own; don’t be afraid to offer advice. Help them understand material in classes you have already taken and share your knowledge and insight.
