By James Baggett
For many college students, the first month of freshman year is a critical period that can serve as a forerunner to how the next four years unravel. The changes in students' lives can be difficult for some and easier for others.
And students who move away from their parents' house and into the dorms would agree that the lifestyle changes thrown on an 18-year-old in these 4½ weeks are drastic.
I caught up with some dorm-roving freshmen for their first hand accounts of the make-or-break junction that is the first month of college.
One of the most significant changes for freshmen is their new living arrangement. As a freshman, you're all of a sudden expected to live harmoniously in a small room with another person - often someone you've never met. It's like a powder keg waiting for someone to throw the match.
"I love my roomie, though we're nothing alike. I've never had to live with people before - it's awful," said freshman Colleen Farrell, pointing to a pile of laundry and random belongings on the floor of her room in Mehling Hall.
"You can pretty much tell what's mine in the room," she confessed.
For other new dorm residents, balancing sleep schedules can be the main challenge.
"He wakes me up during naps," said freshman Ryan Alice, pointing at his roommate, seemingly unbothered.
Some new students say knowing a roommate prior to living with him can make things go more smoothly.
"I knew my roommate coming in, which made the transition easier," said freshman Matthew Duncan, who lives in Villa Maria Hall.
Another aspect of college life that goes along with moving into the dorms is the changes to a student's social life. Suddenly, you meet a ton of new people and live near all of them. If you click with any of these people, it's easy to spend lots of time with them.
This can lead to that unspoken college tradition - procrastination - that many freshmen quickly pick up on.
"It's harder to get actual work done when everyone's an arm's reach away," said freshman Ryan Niven, a Villa resident. "I've been juggling between parties and school work, but the parties have been winning." Niven said he is in the process of working to manage his time better.
This is a common dilemma among freshman, but the advantages of having so many potential friends so close are obvious.
"I've met the guys that will be in my wedding already," said Gustav Neve, who lives in Villa. "It's good to realize that, chances are, you will change in the next year, and so will your friends back home," he discerned.
Though only one of many parts of the college life, academics are why all of us are here, as easy as that can be to forget. Some freshmen don't seem to be having much trouble - yet.
"I'm not having a real bad time. Certainly it's mostly intro classes, but even in my upper-division (classes), I'm hangin' in pretty well," said Duncan, a philosophy major.
"Academics are basically what I expected - not horrible," freshman education major Joseph Masui said.
Some freshmen think the workload is much heavier than in high school.
"I have to do so much more work now," Farrell said.
Engineering major Emily McKaig feels the effects of the high-stakes college atmosphere.
"It's not harder, but it is higher pressure," she said, attributing her high school Advanced Placement classes to making her transition easier.
Almost every freshman I talked to lamented on the fact of having to do his own laundry. But laundry is a small price to pay for freedom the found in college.
"I'm loving college," freshman John Avila said. "The biggest difference is that now I have to do my own laundry."
The relatively unstructured lifestyle that a college student has not only breeds procrastination, but also can lead to a sleep deprivation for some students.
"I've gotten two hours a night the last week. I don't sleep anymore," Farrell said.
Echoing these sentiments is Masui, who explained, "I've learned you don't sleep in college."
