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For many students, college can be stressful. There are classes to get to, GPAs to worry about, and more importantly, a major to choose. These tasks can be daunting for many students but can be especially scary for freshmen. Being new to college life, there can be a lot of pressure on them to succeed their first year and to start making plans for their futures. However, some freshmen are not just concerned about hitting the books. They want to make the college experience fulfilling for themselves personally as well as academically.
One of the most difficult decisions a college student makes is what their major will be. Very few freshmen begin their college careers already knowing what major they will declare.
“I have no idea what I want to do, but whatever career I choose, I want it to make me happy,” said Chelsea Kirk, Tahlequah freshman.
Kirk’s sentiments are echoed by many of her peers who realize that choosing a career path may not be their top priority.
“I want to find out what my greater purpose is in life, what I’m meant to do,” said Paige Wehunt, Cushing freshman. “I think that’s what makes you successful.”
Learning about oneself can be the most important education students receive in college.
“I hope that college makes me more open-minded,” said Ashton Fletcher, Tulsa freshman. “I want to make new kinds of friends and just grow as a person.”
Like Fletcher, some freshmen realize the importance of the relationships they will develop here. The friends that are made and the people that are met while in college can have a profound affect on the rest of students’ lives. Professionally or even romantically relationships can create opportunities and lead students down paths they did not know existed.
While self growth is important, some freshmen are thinking about their careers. They want to start preparing now for the job they want later.
“I want to have a 4.0 GPA and to pick a major,” said Stephen Rogers, Inola freshman, “because one day I want to be a Senator.”
Many freshmen do not have a definite career in mind but know what they want out of their job and out of their future.
“I think it’s important to find a major that I love so that I can have a career that I love,” said Jordan Minton, Broken Arrow freshman. “That’s the only real plan I have right now. I know I want to be happy.”
College is a time of growth, exploration, and freedom. It has its ups and downs and its dull moments. But the truth is that years from now many RiverHawks will look back on their years here and call them the best of their lives.
“I just want to make the most of the college experience, because it will be over before I know it,” said Seth Wefer, Jenks freshman. |
