Transitioning from high school to college is already considered a big step for students, but that step becomes a little bigger for any freshman student who decides to live on campus.
For several students, moving into the all-freshmen Living Learning Complex away from their parents marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Ryan Coleman, a University of Memphis freshman journalism major, said although moving out of his parents’ home and starting college has been exciting, school itself has been a challenge.
“It’s an adjustment, and I’m making it,” Coleman said. “I just always tell myself to never give up. Something that I’ve always instilled in myself since day one is to never give up, no matter how hard it gets. The thrill of being on your own comes very rapidly, but you have to be level-headed at all times.”
Living on campus gives first-year students their first exposure to several new experiences in the world without the direct guidance of their parents. Coleman said as a teenager, many of these experiences require him to have an “adult mindset” to decide both right from wrong and what is best for his future.
“That exposure that you have in college, the partying, the late nights, the drinking, whatever it may be, you have to not do those things and keep a level head and stay on the right path, and I think that’s been the hardest,” Coleman said. “You have to remember, ‘I am here for my education, and I am here on a journey to get to where I want to be.’”
Within that “adult mindset” comes the new responsibility of making important decisions alone. Freshman journalism major Destiny Hinton said the hardest part of this responsibility is managing her time and building her schedule.
“I’m so used to my mom helping me with stuff,” Hinton said. “I guess you get used to being more independent, which is fun but different.”
Elanis Kelley, a freshman vocal performance major, said a significant change for her since she moved to the university is how campus life makes her feel like an adult.
“You get to make your own decisions without somebody saying, ‘Oh, I think you should do this,’” Kelley said. “You make your own decisions because you have your own mind. And you’re 18, so you’re smart enough to know, ‘This is what I should do; this is what I shouldn’t do.’ My parents have taught me right from wrong, so now I make my own decisions.”
By the first week of school, Kelley had already adjusted to campus life. She encouraged freshmen who are still struggling with adapting to this new stage in their lives to get involved on campus and, above all, be themselves.
“I’m very shy, but I’ve noticed if I’m just myself, even though I feel like I’m awkward, and I laugh because I’m nervous, people don’t care,” Kelly said. “As long as you’re yourself, it doesn’t matter.”
Freshman Ryan Coleman studies hard balancing school work with being a student athlete on the University of Memphis rugby team. "Have fun while you’re at it, but stay focused on the brighter picture because you’re here at school for your education and your future," Coleman said.
