By Kadisha Pierre-Louis
News Editor
For many freshmen, the first weeks of college come with a mix of excitement, nerves and a lot of new experiences. From navigating classes to meeting new people, students are learning what it means to call campus home.
Nursing major Rochelle Reed said her first week at the university was a positive experience, as she has spent time finding out what campus has to offer.
“I’ve been exploring campus a lot, learning new stuff,” Reed said.
Reed said that during the first week of classes, she attended the Involvement Fair, where she discovered clubs that caught her interest.
As the semester continues, Reed hopes to become more involved, meet new people and make new friends.
“I look forward to being more involved on campus, joining clubs, trying to meet new people, making new friends and having a great college experience,” Reed said.
Accounting major Bianca Siquar said that she believes that finding a new connection at the university is a part of her college experience.
“As a commuter, I feel connected to the campus. I want to definitely join clubs and help out more around the campus,” Siquar said.
As the semester moves forward, students have the opportunity to continue their academic journey, create new friendships and create experiences of their own.
Healthcare studies major Pelumi Omosowone said her peers and the campus environment have been welcoming.
“I met a lot of people within the first week and I got to know my professors,” Omosowone said.
Omosowone revealed that after making connections, she did not know why she was nervous to start the semester.
“I would tell myself in May not to be nervous because everything will be OK,” Omosowone said.
Whether it was first-day jitters or anxieties about finding classes, many freshmen share a similar experience.
Along with adjusting to campus, other freshmen are while making major changes in their academic career.
Data science major Lismary Salcedo said that her first week was full of changes.
“I changed my major from nursing to data science, so that was an adjustment,” Salcedo said.
To help with the transition, Salcedo said that her INQ 101 class also gave her an opportunity to learn more about campus and various departments.
“I feel like the first week helped my adjust to college,” Salcedo said. “My class did tours around campus and showed me multiple resources I could use.”
Apart from academics, Salcedo said she enjoyed attending various campus events.
Salcedo said that her favorite was OwlChella, hosted by the Residence Hall Association, where she enjoyed making custom T-shirts and taking pictures with her new friends.
After completing her first official week of classes, Salcedo shared a positive sentiment regarding her decision to attend this university.
“I truly felt at home and can see myself flourishing here at Southern,” Salcedo said.
