Starting college means more than learning where your classes are or figuring out a new schedule. For many students, it also means getting used to a new home, meeting new people and figuring out how to make a place feel familiar.
Suddenly, students are expected to know where to go, who to ask for help and how to balance school with everything else happening around them. Orientation can explain where to find a classroom, but it cannot tell you which seat will somehow become “your seat,” where you will end up studying between classes or how early you really need to arrive to find parking.
Some of those lessons only come with time.
For Mallory Brown, a freshman surgical technology major from Elko, Nevada, college has already come with a few surprises. One of the first has been learning how to use the time between her classes.
Brown said she has not spent much time in the library yet. Instead, when she has an hour between classes, she finds a building where she can sit down and work.
“If you have, like, an hour, just go to a building, and then just sit there and do your work,” Brown said.
Brown has also learned that some of the most useful college advice can be surprisingly simple.
Before coming to Utah Tech University, Brown knew St. George would be hot, but experiencing the heat has been an adjustment. She also learned that having a sun visor for her car is useful.
“I knew it was gonna be hot, but it’s, like, I’m not even gonna get used to the heat,” Brown said.
While Brown is still figuring out what works for her, returning students have had a few semesters to settle in.
Alyviah Militoni, a sophomore population health major with a focus in pre-nursing, has had another year to find her own routines.
Militoni has found a place she recommends for students who need somewhere to study.
“The second-floor mezzanine in the library, the glass study rooms are the place to go study,” Militoni said.
For students in healthcare-related majors, Militoni said a whiteboard can also make studying easier.
“For my healthcare people, getting a whiteboard for your house, dorm or apartment is a game changer,” Militoni said.
Militoni said students should also remember that professors are a resource even if approaching them can feel intimidating.
“Your professors are not as scary as you might think. Just go talk to them. Most of them really want to help,” Militoni said.
As students spend more time on campus, they can also learn which people and resources are available when they need help.
Trey Whitney, a junior psychology major from St. George, said one of the biggest things he wishes he had known was that students have access to people who can help them.
“You have access to anyone,” Whitney said. “It could be your classmates, teachers, counselors. And don’t be afraid to ask for or to look for it.”
Whitney said students should not be afraid to ask for help when they need it. He has also found places on campus that he enjoys, including the SET building, where he likes the glass rooms.
Whitney said Matt Blanker, who taught anatomy in the SET building, was one of his favorite professors.
For Samantha Phelan, a senior finance major from Las Vegas, some of the lessons she has learned have come after spending several years in college.
One of those lessons is parking. Phelan said students should arrive on time because parking spots in certain lots can fill up.
“Definitely be here on time to get a parking spot. Definitely in certain parking lots,” Phelan said.
Phelan has also learned that waiting until the last minute to study or read a textbook can make schoolwork pile up.
“Don’t wait till the last minute to do all your studying or read a textbook,” Phelan said.
Another lesson Phelan wishes she had known earlier involved the technology required for her major.
“I wish I knew how many of the, like, ISA stuff you can’t do on Mac, ’cause I maybe would have gotten another computer going into college,” Phelan said.
Phelan’s experience with ISA is another example of the small things students may not think about before starting college, such as whether the technology they already have will work for the software required in their major.
For new students, those details can take some time to figure out. Sometimes the most useful advice comes from classmates, professors or other students who have already learned what works for them.
