Corey Lyman, senior mechanical engineering major, interacted with friends at Chick-fil-A during freshman move in and orientation week.
Each school year brings exciting and new challenges for college students to conqueror. Some students are at the end of college, others right in the middle of their core classes, while freshmen are starting the beginning of their new lives.
Navigating new roommates, new classes, a new campus and new friends can be overwhelming. Many, though, have gone before them and have pointers they wish they had known as brand new college students.
Corey Lyman, senior mechanical engineering major, was not only new to college, but new to the state. Moving from Illinois to California was something he had been planning on since his sophomore year of high school.
“I definitely came into it thinking I would find a lot of new friends,” Lyman said. “That expectation was by far exceeded, since I can now say I’ve found friends that will be lifelong, friends who will walk with me throughout my life, through my high points and my struggles.”
Lyman advises new on-campus students to do their best to stay on campus.
“Even if you live close by, don’t go home on the weekends,” he said. “It’s when the best memories are made. Challenge yourself by getting involved with something physical, like a rec sport, and spiritual, like Challenge Night and Tribe.”
Lyman said if he could share one piece of wisdom to himself back then, he would suggest not to try and find the loopholes in everything.
California Baptist University’s motto is to live your purpose. Some students enter college with a passion they know is their purpose, while others are not sure which direction to go with their careers.
Jessie Coblentz, senior film studies major, said she has always had a passion for film and it was too strong to consider switching her major.
“I have been very blessed to have known that film was my calling for pretty much my whole life,” Coblentz said. “My advice to freshies would be to look at your life and evaluate what makes you happy and how you can turn that love into a way to improve the world. Ask yourself, ‘If I could do anything, what would it be?’ Then pursue it wholeheartedly.”
Coblentz said she wished she had realized everyone is essentially working toward the same thing and it is not a competition.
“College is new and the people who look like they have their act together are just as nervous as you,” she said. “They’re just better at hiding it. Once you realize it’s an even playing field it gets a lot easier.”
Many on-campus students have to figure out how to live with random roommates. Lyman said he thinks there is a key to living well with new roommates.
“One of the most important parts is communication,” Lyman said. “Communicating allows roommates to understand one another.”
“Avoid being a slob-kebab,” Coblentz said. “Unless your roommate is also of the messy persuasion. Then, I guess, live in your filth together.”
