“I think it’s important to find people that are equally as focused on school as you are… it doesn’t take long to determine who is there for the degree and who is there for the fun.”
Knowing your goals and why you are in college is an important aspect to your success according to sophomore Mary Lavallee. Surrounding yourself with people who want to succeed is her way of staying motivated and on top of work, as well as staying social.
Mary’s other tip for making friends? “If you’re ever in your dorm for the first week or so of college, keep your door open! Or go into every open door and say hi.” Her first night of college was spent walking around all four floors of her dorm building with a couple of strangers and having a conversation with every open door.
“Having that one minute of courage to go up and talk with someone in class or sit at a random table in the dining hall can lead to the greatest relationships you will ever create.”
When it comes to the academics of college, Mary’s methods of learning consist of a lot of taking notes and taking advantage of resources. She treats lectures like review sessions, taking notes on the lecture slides or textbook readings beforehand and leaving gaps to fill in extra information the professor gives. “This may seem very extra, but the point of doing all of this is to consume as much about the topic at hand as I am able to.”
Nevertheless, Mary’s Freshman year was not all good times and great productivity. She struggled with her choice of major and with that, her grades and mental health. “My classes were very fun and the people in the program were awesome, but something felt off.” She conducted lots of research and talked with many to help her make this decision, and this process “really took a toll on my morals and my purpose in life.”
Learning that changing majors in college is normal helped her to not feel so bad mentally, as well as consulting her friends and using school resources like SASC to help her bring up the grades that fell during this time. “I think [SASC] gets annoyed with me with how much I go there. It’s so nice to talk with someone that gets it and has been through [the course].”
“I would tell my freshman year self to relax, to enjoy the little things… After this year is over, you won’t remember studying for exams, you’ll remember what you did with your friends.”
