Fall is all about new beginnings for the life of college students. There is no time quite like it.

There is a buzz around campus and a certain type of energy in the air. Freshmen are experiencing freedom, possibly for the first time. New friendships are being made as old ones are renewed after a summer break.

To get you ready for the fall, we at the Summer Kent Stater have put together our Orientation Issue. The issue is designed to give students old and new as much helpful information as possible in preparation for the upcoming 16-week semester and the next few years of your life.

You’ll find the experiences of our editors and their advice for college living on our special-edition Forum page. In the Sports section, find out just what to expect from the Kent State football team this year. We’ve also interviewed people across campus, from all walks of life, to talk about their experiences for our People section.

College allows people the opportunity to learn and grow, both in and out of the classroom. Sometimes, what you learn outside of class is just as important or more important than what you learn in it. I think we have provided valuable information about both aspects.

While putting out 50-plus pages of a newspaper certainly is no summer vacation, let me tell you, it is fulfilling to hear the use people have received out of past Orientation Issues. We’ve heard the stories of students who cut out the important numbers or kept the entire issue just to have all the handy information on-call any time.

It is our hope that this information helps to make a large university feel just a bit smaller. I believe navigating Kent State will be easier with the information we have supplied.

The next part is up to you. I’d like to think of the information we have provided as tools. It is up to you, the reader, to go out and use these tools for the betterment of your college experience.

We have provided the information, now go out and use it. Find a local band to see. Eat at a new location. Be a part of the university community. College certainly is no easy ride, but hopefully we have made it just a bit easier.

Matt Peters is a senior journalism major and the editor of the Summer Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].