Freshman Anxiety And The First-Year Experience

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - As University of Arkansas incoming students visit campus this summer for orientations sessions, a new dynamic designed to bond them to the U of A is underway. The Division of Student Affairs and a campus-wide committee have been working this past year to ensure that first-year students become intellectually and socially engaged in the academic community.

The keys to success on any campus and for any student, no matter his or her age, are an open mind and a willingness to ask questions and explore new ideas, says Dr. Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Arkansas.

The first year of college is chock full of new experiences, she explains. Among them are roommate relationships, high academic standards, invitations to places unknown, responsibility for time management and many more. Combine these challenges with a new town, unfamiliar terminology, high physical demands, and a campus full of strangers, and the mix is right for either an adrenaline rush or a steep descent toward disaster.

"The first order of business," says Brazzell, "is to understand that you are moving to a community where people don’t know and love you. People you meet will have had different experiences than you. You must be open to what that means. It does not mean you have to accept everybody else’s behavior.

"Part of what coming to a college community means," she continues, "is understanding who other people are, what their values are and how they differ from your own, and how you manage a relationship with them. They’re viewing you the same way."

One of the best ways to embrace the first year is to ask many questions. College is not simply a continuation of high school, and assuming the freshman year is the 13^th grade gets many students, even good ones, into trouble.

"Start by seeking assistance," says Brazzell. "You must ask someone. If the first person does not get you where you need to be, then ask another. Nevertheless, you must continue to ask. A student who comes to campus and is disengaged, who doesn’t ask for help, will not be successful here or any place else."

The second important skill to obtain, and obtain quickly, is disciplined time management. Students, especially first-year students, often have an illusion of freedom.

Brazzell says, "They must learn how to manage their time and they must learn how to prioritize. However, we must give them the skills to do that. Nobody is going to tell you that you are in trouble. You won’t know it, and if you’re not alert at mid-term, understanding how much time you have to correct, then you find yourself unable to catch up."

Using the academic calendar given to students during orientation session can be a big help. "Write things down and read them," says Brazzell. Make lists, prioritize tasks, and cross off completed items. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and structure for your week.

One of the best ways to educate and acclimate new students to the challenges of college life is to encourage each one to live in a residence hall. Through this experience, a student begins to make friends and build community. A student becomes responsible not only for one’s self but also for one’s roommate, floor mates and hall mates. The U of A brings many of its programs to students living in the halls. This ensures that students are informed of resources on campus. They learn of services available from the health center, the programs and clubs serving a variety of interests and the rules of behavior specific to the campus. They also meet mentors.

Through residence hall life, says Brazzell, "We make smaller and smaller communities where people feel responsible for each other, connected to each other, and through which it becomes difficult for someone to fall into the cracks and become disengaged.

"When you learn to live with someone and learn to resolve your differences, that’s part of understanding the world beyond yourself," says Brazzell.

For the student who travels home every weekend to visit friends, disengaging can happen quickly. The student is missing a central part of college life. "Part of the transition is that you give up what you leave," says Brazzell. "The student who leaves every weekend is missing establishing a spot in this community."

Another common pitfall for students is the part-time job. Families need to examine whether a job is really necessary or simply an avenue for buying "really nice stuff," says Brazzell. For some students, working while attending school is a requirement for being there. The job may pay a portion of tuition or fees, books or housing, but the topic of part-time jobs is a serious one, and the family needs to continually assess its long-term value. Too often students arrange their class schedule around the hours they are required to work. "The priority," says Brazzell, " should be academics and involvement in campus life."

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