“If I knew then what I know now…”
Today, I partook in a first-year orientation panel themed “If I knew then what I know now…” Dr. Karen Campell, one of the Deans of Undergraduate Education invited several upperclassmen to give 1-2 suggestions to the first-years and then participate in a Q&A session. Here’s some of the points we highlighted:
- Go to your professors’ office hours to introduce yourself, ask questions, and ask about their research. — They love to talk and will really appreciate you stopping by. Plus, the professors are great about explaining things. If you don’t understand something in class, go ask. It’s definitely worth it.
- Actually try out the countless organizations you sign up for at the Student Organization Fair, and try out something new! — There are clubs that may seem familiar to you that you did during high school and if you are passionate about them, I encourage you to continue. But, also try out something new like Fencing Club or Capoeira Club or WilSkills or VUCA (even if you aren’t Chinese, an interest in the culture is all that matters!).
- Join intramural sports teams and/or clubs, you may find your niche. — Again, maybe you played soccer in high school, but were always kind of interested in ultimate frisbee or rowing. Try them out, you have nothing to lose and its a great way to meet upperclassmen!
- Don’t stress yourself out your first semester (or your entire freshman year). — You don’t need to take 18 credit hours each semester. Averaging 15 will give you the 120 hours you need to graduate, spread it out and take it easy at first. You will be really busy meeting people, adjusting to college life, and joining clubs. 18 credit hours on top of that is a bit much, don’t you think? If 15 credit hours ends up being manageable first semester, try upping it a bit next semester.
- Take advantage of the AXLE requirements and try out some classes that seem interesting to you (even if they don’t apply to your major or minor). — There are some really unique courses at Vanderbilt like History of Rock and Roll or World Music or Russian. There are also some subjects that I’m sure you are interested in that don’t really apply to your major. I’m a MCB and French double major and took an Intro to Philosophy course (because I had always wanted to) to satisfy one of my AXLE requirements.
- Explore Nashville! — This city is amazing, seriously! Go downtown or to East Nashville, Green Hills, Hillsboro…go everywhere! See what’s good, what’s free, and who’s playing music. Make upperclassmen friends who will drive you places. Go to concert venues, local restaurants, and cool parks! The Vanderbilt Bubble is great, but so is the city!
The summary: Don’t stress yourself out, meet people, and try new things!