Freshmen reflect on first-year expectations
Whether freshmen choose to attend USU after an A-day tour, because relatives or friends have been students or because they love the campus, each student has different expectations about how his or her first year in Logan will turn out.
As the school year draws to an end, some freshmen spoke their minds about what they’ve loved, disliked or what they hope will be different in the coming years. Vocal performance major Emily Trevial wanted college to be a change of scenery and environment. Raised in Chicago, Trevial said the concentration of LDS students on campus has been one of her favorite parts of her first year at college.
“I like that (they’re) here but not as overwhelming as BYU,” Trevial said.
Coming to Logan, she said she had a lot of expectations, because she had visited campus several times and thought it was beautiful. Along with the landscape, she said she knew the music department was reputable.
“I like choir a lot, and I do piano and voice lessons,” she said.
Trevail’s roommates, who are twins, also had high expectations about their first years.
Brooke Edmondson, a freshman majoring in business, said she was excited about the social life, but it hasn’t been as thrilling as she expected.
“I’ve really liked our dorm environment – the RA’s and all the roommates we have had,” she said.
Edmonson said she hoped on-campus events would happen more often than they have this year. Despite this, she and her twin, Brennly, went to the Howl, and both said it was fun.
The three roommates all agreed their dating lives have not been what they anticipated.
“Coming to Utah, I was expecting a lot of dating,” Trevial said. “I’ve heard a ton of horror stories, but I haven’t had many. Where I’m from, you don’t really ask people on casual dates.”
The first week at USU, Trevial said someone asked her to go country line dancing.
“It was different, but I enjoyed it,” she said.
She said she likes that people are more open to going on dates instead of just hanging out.
Brooke Edmondson said her parents both attended USU. She and Brennly received academic scholarships to attend, which she said was helpful because they grew up in Bethlehem, Pa.
Brooke said she likes the business program but hasn’t decided which emphasis she’s going into. She said both she and Brennly will be coming back next year and will most likely stay until graduation.
Freshman Jake Salmon, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, said one of the reasons he chose USU was because it had the program he was looking for. He said it also had a good reputation among those closest to him.
“I also have a plethora of relatives who have gone here, and it’s super close to my house in Brigham City. There are a million reasons,” he said.
Though he said most of his expectations have been met, there is still more to be desired.
“I was expecting a little more,” Salmon said. “I’m the youngest, and my siblings are pretty close in age, so I’ve been up here a few times with them.”
He said he thinks his expectations were fairly realistic, but the amount of events around town have been a let down.
“There haven’t been as many fun events or crazy parties,” Salmon said.
When it comes to dating, he said the scene in Logan is ambiguous.
“They’re either extreme Mormon or extreme on the other side,” he said regarding the local dating pool.
The academics have been different than he anticipated – he said he hasn’t liked a lot of his professors, but a couple, he said, have been great.
“You know what, if these guys made it through college and got a Ph.D., I can do it, too,” he said.
He isn’t a True Aggie, yet, but plans to be before he graduates.
“Every night it comes up there isn’t anyone I want to take. I don’t want to just stand up there and become a True Aggie,” Salmon said.
Sam Katseanes, a freshman majoring in economic theory and finance, said he has thoroughly enjoyed his classes, which have been much more challenging than he thought they would be.
“The classes are either vegetable work or the hardest thing ever,” he said. “I consider myself pretty smart, and I did anticipate it to be hard, but not with constant studying for tests and a bunch of exams to look forward (to).”
Katseanes said his favorite professor so far is philosophy Professor Richard Sherlock, who teaches a humanities class Katseanes is in.
“He’s really passionate about the material, and he’s really eccentric,” Katseanes said.
Katseanes said the highlight of his freshman year has been starting fresh and meeting new people.
“I’ve been to a lot of other college campuses, and the city itself is great for college experiences,” he said.
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