Welcome to #HonorsProblems, a new monthly column written by your Student Peer Advisors tackling some of the most common issues we all face as college students and especially as University Honors Program members. Our inaugural post is written by UHPer and SPA Communications Chair Jess Burnell, a senior in the Columbian College majoring in economics.
—
Welcome, Class of 2017! You’re here. You’ve made it. You are, officially, college students. But I know that even though you’ve unpacked all your stuff in your dorm room and figured out where your classes are (I hope), you’re probably still feeling incredibly overwhelmed. College is an experience unlike anything you’ve ever faced before, and if you’re having anxiety over the idea of making new friends, doing well in class, and generally worrying about how to make the most out of your time at GW, you’re not alone. Trust me, we’ve all been there. With that in mind, this #HonorsProblems post aims to give you a few tips to help you get your sea legs under you:
Tip #1: DON’T PANIC.
Transitioning to college is hard. Making new friends is hard. Sometimes (but not always) getting through a class will be hard. Learning how to live away from your family if you’ve never had to before (or learning to live with a roommate if you’ve never had to before) can be very, very hard. And as difficult as it might be to not worry about these things, try as much as possible not to panic. Know that it will take time to adjust to living in this new place and interacting with new people. Don’t panic when it feels like everyone else is making friends right off the bat the first week and you haven’t really connected with anyone yet. Don’t panic if you fail the first quiz. Don’t panic if you have no idea what you want to major in. Things will fall into place if you give them a little time. And most importantly, learn to trust yourself. You can handle anything college can throw at you.
Tip #2: Get out of your room.
All of that being said, nothing will fall into place if you spend all of your time outside of class alone in your dorm! Putting yourself out there and actively seeking new friends and new experiences is the key to establishing great relationships with people and having a great time during your four years at GW. Student orgs are the best way to meet people who share your interests. Get involved in Greek life, a club sport, an acapella group, or whatever floats your boat! Stay tuned to the UHP blog for upcoming posts where SPA highlight the orgs they’re involved with outside of the UHP if you’re searching for inspiration. In addition, don’t forget that the UHP hosts some pretty fun community building events of its own throughout the year where you can meet and bond with your fellow UHPers!
Tip #3: Take advantage of the UHP resources available to you.
You have an awesome network of people at your disposal already built in to your GW experience: the staff and students of the UHP! Make an appointment with Catherine when you need advice on declaring a major, working out a four-year plan, fulfilling Honors requirements, or anything having to do with academics. Your SPA are always here for you as well; all of our bios will be posted here on the blog, and you can meet us in person at the Honors Advising Workshop in Ames Hall on the Vern this Friday from 2-4pm. Friend us on Facebook or email uhpspa@gwu.edu to talk to or ask questions of any of us about anything at all (my personal favorite topics of discussion include cats and the BBC show Sherlock, for example).
We’ve all got your back. So are you ready? Let’s do this.
