After four years in college, seniors have developed a well-rounded experience with college culture, academics and managing their time, and their advice can be beneficial to college freshmen and new students. 

Sydney White, senior interior design major 

Sydney White began her journey at Kent State University in 2022. Her hometown is three hours away in Dayton. When White first came to college, she experienced challenges, including being away from home, learning how college worked and socializing with others.

“It was a different world for me when I first came to college. I was nervous walking around campus.”

“College work was a lot more load-bearing for me, even though I had more classes in high school, because my work was very project-based. I learned that I had to pay more attention in college than I did in high school. I had to get used to being away from home, and the option of doing what I wanted to, when I wanted.”

“I was more standoffish and quiet. At the beginning, I didn’t leave my room a lot. I didn’t want to socialize very much, but I started to get introduced to people and met friends that I still have now. And then I joined Impact Movement, and I started being around people more often.”

“Making friends that accepted me for who I am, taking time for myself and encouragement from my parents helped me to adjust to college.”

White’s advice for freshmen:

“I wish someone had told me how everything worked when I was a freshman, like meal exchanges and classes. I found out through experience, but it would have been nice to have been walked through those things. I also wish someone had told me that you need friends who align with your goal, to encourage you and help you stay on track.”

“Have fun; don’t just do all school and have no fun. Don’t wrap your whole life around your school work; live life too; create a balance. Go out and experience things, talk to people, be open to being spontaneous and doing fun things randomly.”

“Go to your classes, and put effort into your school work, take the time to learn the things you are interested in, especially because you may use them later.”

“Don’t be scared of what others will think of you, because they don’t care that much; they aren’t paying you as much attention as you think.” 

“When you are struggling academically or are overwhelmed, don’t get stuck. Remember that it won’t last forever and that you’ll get through it, and it will be okay.”

Joshua Winter, senior digital media production major 

Joshua Winter’s college journey began at Highlands College in Alabama, but he later began attending Kent State in 2021, after taking a break from college.

Winter described his experience at Highlands College, which he began attending freshly out of high school. 

“I got told who I was going to live with right before I went down. Moving in and meeting my roommate for the first time was exciting and a little scary, but mainly it felt like a movie.”

“As a freshman, I kept to myself. I didn’t do anything extracurricular.  I was cordial with my roommates, but in my room most of the time. The excitement of a new place kinda wore off eventually, and I became a little lonely.”

“A roommate suggested hanging out in the living room, rather than my bedroom. I engaged more with my roommates after trying, which was kind of the best thing for me. That small difference made a big difference.”

After Winter’s first year of college in Alabama, he later began attending KSU as a commuter student.

“As a commuter, I really wanted the college experience of going to an org fair. I thought I would only stop at a few tables, but I went to quite a few at Blastoff. One of the tables I stopped at was the figure skating table. I decided to try it because they said you didn’t need any experience.”

“A lot of the classes my freshman year were big lectures with a lot of people in them because they were core classes, but I didn’t really make any close friends in those classes during the first semester.”

“Joining a student organization definitely helped me adjust. The Figure Skating Club was something that really helped me build those early friendships. It was helpful that there were underclassmen and upperclassmen in the club; it helped to be around people who understood me, like other freshmen and seniors with more experience.”

“Student organizations were a huge help socially, and it was helpful to have people to ask questions to, like who to email for certain things.”

“It was also just fun to have somewhere to go for two days in the week; it was a bonding experience. You could laugh together when you fell and someone would help you up. Sharing those moments when you are trying to figure out a turn or something, it was a nice ice breaker. No pun intended.”

Winter’s advice for freshmen:

“If you have the financial ability, you should live in the dorms for your first year, it puts you in the thick of college and forces you to make friends and build some kind of community.”

“Don’t be afraid to switch a club, your major.”

“It takes some time to figure things out. I started as an art history major and then changed my major to marketing. After that, I wanted to leave school, but my mom encouraged me to go and scroll through the majors and find something that piqued my interest.”

“College is a trial-and-error experience. Be flexible and switch your plans around. If you run into a wall, don’t force yourself through; turn around, find a new way.” 

“It took [joining] skating to get to tennis [club], and it took art history to get to dmp [digital media production] and those orgs to find ‘Grab Bag.’” 

Ronshai Jones, senior communications major 

Ronshai Jones began his journey at Kent State University in 2021. He traveled to KSU from his hometown, Washington, D.C. His journey in college began after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As a freshman, Jones said he faced challenges with online classes, studying, homesickness and making new friends. 

“I was focused on getting my degree and leaving. I wasn’t interested in making new friends; I kept to myself a lot during the first year.”

“When I came to college, it was right as COVID was ending in 2021. Most of my classes during my first semester were online. Online classes made it harder to interact with peers and professors, and I didn’t do well in them, especially because I didn’t like the courses.

“People lived in the dorms, but they weren’t quite out yet. I dealt with homesickness and adjusting to a new environment and different people than I was used to.“

“During my second semester of college, the classes went back to in-person, and that was helpful for me. I started creating time to study, and studying in the Center for Undergraduate Excellence really helped me do my work.”

“I began utilizing the campus resources such as academic advising, tutoring, CommUNITY Lab. I also started interacting with other students more and going to school events.”

 Jones’s advice for freshmen:

“I wish someone had told me as a freshman that your experience can be as good as you want it to be; it is based on your effort in making it a good experience.”

“I think you should put yourself out there when you come to college. Go to as many events as you can.”

“Utilize the campus resources; they are there to help you, and the faculty in those support offices want you to come visit them.”

“An underrated gem is to find a place you like to study, it makes doing your work so much better.” 

Through their experiences at Kent, these seniors are now equipped to take on what’s next as they complete their final year of college.

Joi Sims is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].