First Year

Congratulations! You made it to Emerson College, hopefully right where you wanted to be. College is an incredibly exciting and fun time. However, you have been looking forward to this day for so long that your hopes and expectations may be a little too high. Speaking from experience, these expectations can become a let down once reality sets in. But don’t be discouraged. College, and especially Emerson, is great. But there are some caveats that you may not be expecting.

1. Clubs

Emerson may be different from other colleges in that our clubs are more professional and actually don’t really represent the idea of what you expect clubs to be. For example, many clubs, especially shows and magazines, would like you to give a resume before they “hire” you. It may seem weird that you have to apply to be a part of a club, but this is because Emerson clubs are a way to get a taste of what it is like to actually work in these fields. Do not be fooled however, they are still a way to learn and nobody expects you to know completely what you are doing. That is what they are for, a way to learn. Do not be afraid to let them know that you don’t know what to do or ask for help.

That being said, there are clubs that are more “club-like”; you just have to search for them. Go to any clubs that interest you, you can always decide to drop it later.Immersion groups like Film Immersion or the writing community are also a good way to experience this.

The best way to find out about clubs is to go to the org fair. This happens at the beginning of each semester and is where all the clubs and organizations have tables and information and places to sign up. Other opportunities are to join facebook groups, look for crew calls, or check out the campus center.

2. Friends

The first year of college goes by incredibly fast but also feels like you have been here for a while. This also means that you will meet, form bonds and forget so many people. Friends the first year can be hard because everyone is meeting everyone else for the first time. You may meet some of the closest friends you ever had or change groups all the time. Be willing and expect that friends will come and go. The first people you meet may not always be the same people you are friends with later. The same for your roommate, they may seem great and then maybe turn out to be horrible (if that’s the case, don’t be afraid to get out). Hopefully, and probably, you will make great friends, but it is something to keep in mind that relationships change and evolve very quickly; especially at a place where you are all together all the time.

3. School work

You may think that school work in college is going to be easier or harder than it was in highschool. At Emerson especially, this all depends on your major. Freshman year is hard because you have to take classes that may not interest you at all. Power through, because after freshman year you begin to really specialize in what you want to do. Liberal arts requirements may feel annoying, but they offer you a more rounded education that could actually help you more than you think in your major; this is because they open you to different ways of thinking and insight into humanity. There are so many classes offered that you are bound to find something you like and something that can help your career. Also, don’t be afraid to take class that seems interesting but may not have a lot to do with your major. You will also learn what type of classes you like (time, area of study, lecture or not, professor, etc) and can adjust your schedule to fit that in the future. Also, the main thing regarding schoolwork is that you have to force yourself to do it. Nobody is going to make you so it does take some discipline. The same goes with attending classes, and in reality, you are paying too much money to not go to your classes.

4. Living Alone:

Living away from home is great. It may seem hard at first, but one of the most surprising things was how quickly I adjusted being to being in college. I think the best way to feel at home at school is to just allow it to happen. Go to activities, meet people, and explore the city. Immerse yourself in the college experience and soon it won’t feel so alien. You have this new freedom and it can be great. There are time where you will miss home- it is normal and happens to everyone. This could be when you get sick and have no one to take care of you or make doctors appointments or even remembering to eat well and go to bed. Remember that home is just a phone call away and honestly, breaks will happen soon enough. Going home for the first time will also be weird. Everything there may be the same or could have drastically changed. Talk to your parents and let them know if you feel uncomfortable and maybe ask them to wait a little before they repaint your room. It will also be weird to be back under supervision as you had all this freedom before. Don’t worry though, you will grow accustomed to everything and it won’t be so strange.

Relationships with your friends back home will also change. Losing contact with them is normal. Don’t feel pressured to continue a relationship that isn’t holding together.

5. College:

The one thing is that college isn’t as easy as it seems. They don’t show and teach you how to do everything. Finding information and understanding the structure can be hard and confusing. I wish that it was easier to get information as I still struggle with finding where to go (ex: I have no idea how to rent a study room). Other difficulties will be with financial aid, transferring credits, or study abroad. Nothing is as easy as it seems and can become incredibly frustrating. I think Emerson is very bad at communicating and getting information across. I would recommend speaking to advisors, RA’s, or other people in general to learn how to do things. Also, do not wait until the last minute in case any confusion arises.

 

At some point, Emerson may feel like it is screwing you every which way. Try to keep in mind that colleges promise you all these things because they want you to go there. So, even though it may seem like Emerson had all this fine print, they are probably no different than any other school so don’t be too disappointed. This is also the first year, and most of your classes you may not be interested in. Especially at Emerson, this can be frustrating to not be working in what you want to do. However, again this is similar at many schools and it should it get better. After the first year, you have more of a choice in what classes you take and the opportunity to specialize more.

However, what is the most important, is that you have to think about yourself and what makes the most sense to you. If that involves changing majors, or even changing schools, do not be afraid to do so. Talk to advisors, and even parents or friends to help decide what the best path for you will be; but most importantly do what you want to do.