Tips for avoiding the freshman blues
Ed Komenda
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: News
Being a freshman at a large university can be just as enjoyable as it can be miserable. From having to meet new people and professors to learning to live with a roommate or alone, first-year students can expect to run into many obstacles at the beginning of their college careers.
"I think the student's biggest challenge is just living away from home for the first time," said Matt Bierman, director of residential facilities.
When students find themselves in a completely different place after living in the same home for their entire lives, they sometimes experience that culture shock of living on their own, according to Bierman.
"The newfound freedom of being on their own, interacting with a lot of new and different types of people can create some very positive experiences for students, but there can also be a lot of negative experiences with that, too," Bierman said.
According to Bierman, every student's adjustment period is different, and some students take much longer than other to adapt to new environments. He added that Western Illinois University has developed many programs aimed at helping the students who do not adapt as quickly.
"We focus our programming on the adjustments and studying and socializing to help those students through the transition of being away from home and how to handle their freedom in moderation," Bierman said. "We want to ensure that they are developing good study habits and good social habits."
"I think the student's biggest challenge is just living away from home for the first time," said Matt Bierman, director of residential facilities.
When students find themselves in a completely different place after living in the same home for their entire lives, they sometimes experience that culture shock of living on their own, according to Bierman.
"The newfound freedom of being on their own, interacting with a lot of new and different types of people can create some very positive experiences for students, but there can also be a lot of negative experiences with that, too," Bierman said.
According to Bierman, every student's adjustment period is different, and some students take much longer than other to adapt to new environments. He added that Western Illinois University has developed many programs aimed at helping the students who do not adapt as quickly.
"We focus our programming on the adjustments and studying and socializing to help those students through the transition of being away from home and how to handle their freedom in moderation," Bierman said. "We want to ensure that they are developing good study habits and good social habits."
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