Students and faculty share advice for new school year
While starting a new school year can be full of many unknowns and anxieties, it can also be a time of new beginnings and opportunities.
Everyone can use a little advice to kick off the start of a new school year, whether you are new to college life or you’ve been here for several years.
There are many different ways to make a school year successful, but it is a very unique and individual experience for each student.
A few experienced students and staff shared their advice for both incoming and advanced students alike to take as they enter into the new year.
Braunté Miner, a senior majoring in elementary education, likes to go into the school year feeling “extra prepared.” She has emphases in fine arts and foreign language.
“I’m a little over the top. I clean and restock my backpack so it’s super organized. I write down where my classes are at and what times, and if I don’t know the building super well, I like to go find exactly where my class is,” Miner said.
Miner has several pieces of advice she wishes she would have known at the beginning, including advice relative to textbooks and classmates.
“The first day of class, get the number of someone in that class in case you have questions or are absent and always price check your books on Amazon before you buy them.” Miner said. “Students get Amazon Prime for free, but the bookstore has been doing a great job at making the prices pretty comparable lately.”
Miner also adds that writing down all assignments on the day they are due in a planner after receiving a syllabus can be a huge help in staying organized for the semester ahead.
Anthonie Nichols, TRiO Student Support Services grant project director spends his summer making preparations to help meet the needs of the students he serves.
“I have to have a balance between planning how a day will go for both my appointments or how a meeting with a student will go when we are working through certain needs,” Nichols said. “Sometimes you’ll never know who is going to come to the door or have a need and you can’t always predict them.”
Nichols has found that he is an extroverted person and loves it when students are here.
“The thing that energizes me as a person is interacting with people,” Nichols said. “I love it when students are here.”
Public relations major Natalie Howard loves the feeling of buying a new outfit to start off her school year on a positive note. Because she knows college life is crazy, she makes sure to do laundry and put it away so she feels more prepared.
Howard has learned through trial and error that time management is a huge balancing act in a college career.
In order to avoid the headaches of scrambling through homework at the last minute before the due date, she discovered a plan that has helped her be more efficient.
“My advice would be to section out the assignments and do a little bit each day until the due date. This way you are still doing what needs to be done but you are also having a little of a social life,” Howard said.
In the stressful and busy moments of college life, Howard also takes time for herself to decompress and unwind.
“Your personal mental health is so important,” Howard said.
Miner also finds that there is nothing a little pep talk won’t fix. She tells herself how awesome and exciting the semester is going to be, which gives her a leg up in her studies.
Bonnie Moore, a lecturer in the English department, has been teaching for the past 6 years. Moore has a huge passion for the subjects she teaches, and spends plenty of time outside of her classroom researching and preparing for the year ahead.
Moore increases her knowledge and awareness by talking to those in her field of study. She often attends conferences related to her teaching curriculum and is always looking for ways to better reach the students she associates with.
“I try to be engaging, excited and passionate about what I teach and study, hoping it will rub off on them,” Moore said. “I try to engage one-on-one and help students feel that they can ask questions and discuss issues openly.”
Moore encourages students to not be afraid to jump in with both feet, even in a class they might not look forward to. It may become a new favorite subject or passion.
“Hopefully the reason you are at USU is to broaden your horizons and learn about exciting areas and topics you previously didn’t know about. It’s also okay to engage with the professor,” Moore said.
Here’s to a new and exciting school year full of engaging and fantastic opportunities ahead.
No matter if students are entering year one or year six, there is always something new to be learned. Welcome back Aggies.
—kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu
@kortniwells