Every new college student has similar worries about coming to college: Will I make friends? Will I do well in my classes? Is someone going to take my wet clothes out of the washer if I wait too long? All these things are perfectly normal to worry about as a first year student, and I personally agonized over all of them. My biggest worry of them all was, “Am I going to want to transfer?” I came into Nazareth not thinking I would stay for very long; I come from a family that prioritizes the big brand name of a college over everything else and was worried my parents wouldn’t be proud of me for picking a smaller, lesser known school. I soon realized that there are more important things and, after my first few weeks at Naz I knew I had found my second home.
Meeting my friends who lived in my building freshman year has really influenced who I am today and they were one of the biggest reasons I chose to stay at Naz. One of the best parts about college is living near a bunch of different people who are all in the same boat as you. Making friends with the people on your floor or in your building is an amazing way to create friendships that will last you the rest of your college career and maybe even your life if you’re lucky. It’s not as hard as you think it will be and everyone else is looking for new friends too. College is a time in your life to try new things and one of those things might be putting yourself out there to meet new people who could end up completely changing your college experience. Be friendly, open, and throw caution to the wind for a little and strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know and see where it takes you!
The other slightly more important part of your college experience is your classes. They may seem scary and hard compared to high school classes, but if you struggle, Naz has the Center for Student Success and they are here for you. The Naz CSS offers free tutoring and even life coaching for students who need a little extra help to succeed, and your amazing teachers also want to help you out as much as possible. The best part about a small school like Naz is that almost all your professors will know your name after the first few weeks, and they always try to make themselves available for help whenever you need it. I received a lot of support from not just my professors, but also the wonderful professionals at the Health and Counseling Center, who helped me become more comfortable with handling my anxiety along with my new college experiences and stress from classes. I also love the feeling of knowing my professors and what they expect from me, along with the fact that I can joke around with them outside of class (we follow each other on Instagram!) With a little hard work, some elbow grease, and regular studying, your classes will become a fun and exciting part of your time in college like they did for me, thanks to Naz.
I’m extremely grateful I found my niche here at Nazareth College. I have had an amazing experience in college so far and hopefully will in my last year as well. If you ever feel uncertain about your choice of college, make sure to consider the silver linings and little things, and consider whether or not you can really be happy where you choose to be. For me, Naz was one of the best choices I could have made. And yes, unfortunately, someone may take your wet clothes out of the washer if you leave them there for too long.