Starting new classes, making new friends and attending parties all come with having a freshman college experience. However, freshman students also face a new kind of independence that most have never had before. This adjustment can come as a shock to most students and they may find themselves on an emotional rollercoaster.
Adan Rivas-Casarrubias, a freshman studying production design and technology, said that he loves that Ohio University gives him a sense of security and makes him feel safe.
“It's what I thought of and more if I'm going to be honest,” Rivas-Casarrubias said. “Especially from where I'm from. It's weird to feel safe, and especially being a person of color. So that security was definitely nice and how accepting OU is for different sexual identities and gender identities like that.”
Rivas-Casarrubias said one of his biggest deciding factors in enrolling at OU was the Marching 110 because of his student teacher in his high school band. Logan Klump, a former trombone player in the Marching 110, encouraged Rivas-Casarrubias and his friend to audition and it became a big push to attend the university.
The one negative comment Rivas-Casarrubias had to say about being at OU is some residence halls lack elevators. He resides in Brown Hall and said not having an elevator is agony.
When asked if he had any advice to give to incoming freshmen, Rivas-Casarrubias advised that they not be afraid to take advantage of the many different resources on campus. He said without these resources, he would have not been able to get the assistance he needed to have a successful first semester of college.
Mason Huffsteder, a freshman studying information technology systems, or ITS, advised students to pursue a major that they enjoy. Huffsteder is a former middle childhood education major, but he switched to ITS because he always grew up on technology and remembers getting his first laptop at 7 years old. Huffsteder also said the sense of community at OU has made him feel welcome.
“Starting to live on my own was terrifying to me,” Huffsteder said. “But then, once I figured out everyone else was also terrified, it just became a lot easier to make friends.”
Rivas-Casarrubias and Huffsteder both said the scenery is something they love about OU. Huffsteder said the scenery is beautiful and that it is a privilege students at other universities like the University of Cincinnati or Ohio State University do not get to have. He said he believes having a walkable campus has allowed him to pace himself with scheduling classes.
Huffsteder said communal bathrooms are his least favorite part of OU so far. He said it can be hard to share a bathroom with others who do not take care of the space. However, Huffsteder said what he is happiest about at OU are the friends he has made.
Aidan Voorhis, an undecided freshman, said he believes attending OU is what he expected, but said that college may not be for everyone.
“I think the idea of a college experience has kind of just become the next step,” Voorhis said. “Like when you finish high school, you go to college and I think that's not entirely true.”
Voorhis said he has been happy to attend OU but has recently grasped the idea that college might not be for him. Although he has been having mixed feelings about his college enrollment, Voorhis said he does not regret his decision to come to OU because of his connections with other students.
“I think we’re really a tight-knit community at least on the student side,” Voorhis said. “We’re all kind of together and I like that about this campus.”
Voorhis said being at college can be the first time a student is alone and it could have a negative impact on one’s mental health. He said finding your community is significant and is what helped him through his first semester.
Leanne Abel, a freshman studying English creative writing and media production studies, is an out-of-state student from Pennsylvania and shared why she chose to enroll at a university that was not in her home state.
“I didn't want to see everybody that I knew,” Abel said. “OU was a big enough college that I could grow and get better ... They also had a lot of good media and creative degrees, which is really nice.”
When Abel was asked about OU’s reputation, she said the reputation she knew of OU before attending was that it was a party school and not considered a “smart school” because of the various arts programs. Since attending the university, she learned it is better than she expected.
One of the things Abel is unhappy with in her experience at OU is the amount of general education requirements students have to take. Abel said she finds it frustrating that she has to take the same amount — if not more — of general education requirements she did in high school.
She also gave advice on what she would say to another incoming freshman for next year’s class, which is to know where you want to live on campus. She said she believes finding the right place to live on campus is one of the hardest things to learn by yourself.
“I think it’s important to find your community,” Voorhis said. “They're the ones who can display that heavy lifting for you because they have connections in other places, then you just kind of settle into it.”
