Frostburg Freshmen Feature of the Week: 10/1/12-10/5/12

First-Year Blues: Surviving the Difficulties of Your Freshman Year at FSU
Scott McDonough, ENGL 490

As a new college student at Frostburg State University, your first year at university presents a myriad of new experiences. Unfortunately, not all of these experiences will be pleasant. In fact, your experience as a freshman transitioning to college life, increased responsibilities, and a new level of independence can end up being pretty rough. As you get into the groove of college life as part of the FSU Class of 2016, you may face such difficulties as horrible roommate(s), bad grades, social struggles, and much more. Luckily, you can overcome any and all of the challenges you may face in your freshman year at FSU and beyond with a few survival tips from a seasoned professional.

The first thing many new Frostburg students discover is that roommates are a necessary evil of college life. Aside from a few exceptions, you’ll most likely have a roommate or two during your freshman year in college. In a perfect world, everybody would get along and everything would be right as rain among roommates. In reality, roommates can rain on your first-year college parade and vice versa. Creating a room contract is often the best way to keep the peace among your new roommates here at FSU. The room contract should be written down, signed by all roommates, and cover issues such as privacy, cooperation in your respective schedules, cleaning duties, and guests. With a formal contract agreed upon between all roommates, many problems can be avoided in advance, and a third-party can be called in to resolve any disputes that do arise when somebody breaks contractual terms. Here at Frostburg State University, you’ll want to contact the Residence Life Office if problems do arise between you and your roommates or for any other questions and concerns you may have regarding on-campus housing.

Once you have your living situation all taken care of, you’ll soon make another discovery as a new FSU student: university-level coursework is a bit more difficult than what you might be used to. As a new college student far removed from the comforts of home for the first time, college courses can be especially demanding during your freshman year here at FSU. With all of the experiences that your first-year in college already has to offer, a full course load of four to five classes will range from difficult to overwhelming. Luckily, surviving the challenge of difficult coursework is much easier than you might think. Develop and maintain good study-habits and keep your priorities in order. A social life in college is important but you’re here to learn, so don’t party so much that your academic life becomes more difficult than it has to be. Additionally, don’t be afraid to request a little help from your professors and fellow FSU classmates to improve on material that you find difficult, we are here to help you. Finally, utilize as many FSU campus resources to help with difficult courses including academic advising, tutoring services, counseling, and student groups. Frostburg State University's Student and Educational Services is a good place to get started in finding help for academics and alot more.

College can be hard for any student, but FSU freshmen who aren’t accustomed to college life may find it especially difficult. In your first year at Frostburg State University however, any difficulties that come your way can be overcome with a little cooperation, help, and confidence. While roommates and difficult coursework are by no means the only difficulties you will face in your college career, getting these two challenges sorted out first will go a long way in relieving those first-year blues and your new journey as an FSU student can be made a whole lot easier.

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