May is upon us, which means that the end of the 2023-2024 school year is right around the corner. Seniors are picking up regalia, juniors are gearing up for summer internships, sophomores are trying to deal with the fact that they are halfway done with college, and freshmen are reflecting on their first year as a wildcat.
Northwestern’s class of 2027 consists of 2,112 students, hailing from many different countries and walks of life. In order to gain a better sense of what their first year was like, I sat down with three freshmen, Sarah Campbell, Christopher Vye, and Aryn Honaker who offered a few brief insights on their freshman year experience.
[SARAH CAMPBELL] “Freshman year was crazy. One big highlight was I joined a sorority in the winter and like have found my closest friends and the whole experience has just been so fulfilling and so much fun. That was probably the biggest highlight. Fall, there were so many mini highlights of just being able to try new things and explore campus more. I have the belief that all clubs here besides the happiness club are way too exclusive and difficult to join. Cause there’s nothing like, if you’re not the best, or fully invested in something it’s very hard to do something related to that within a club setting. So that was an unfortunate expectation that I did not I was not able to live up to.”
[CHRISTOPHER VYE] “Just like going to sporting events. I remember the Purdue game that I went to. That was really cool because they were ranked number one at that point. And it was just like, I know they beat them last year too. And then to see that happen again while actually being a student at Northwestern was just such a cool experience to be a part of.”
While some moments, like Northwestern basketball beating Purdue, defy all the odds, some things are manifested, expected, and then executed through hard work.
[SC] “I came into Northwestern with the expectation, like- I know it was going to be hard, rigorous, academically, and that is true. But at the same time, not as true as I thought it was going to be, which was a very nice expectation.”
[ARYN HONAKER] “An expectation I had was I was going to be more social. I was gonna go out more, have more fun and I think I did that. Yeah I went on trips to Chicago. Me and my friends had a lot of fun get togethers where we would just do whatever. Honestly, we always get dinner together almost every night. So I think I succeeded in like, being more social like that expectation of just my social life improving.”
While freshman year aims to help students become acclimated to Northwestern, it would not be possible without some of the amazing resources Northwestern has to offer. These resources exist to help students in various areas of their lives, such as health and wellness, diversity and culture, career development, and safety and sustainability.
[CV] “It was really nice to feel like I could ask like anyone any question if I needed help with something, whether that be like a professor, a classmate, or even just like someone on campus, that you needed to like stop and be like, ‘hey, do you know where this is?’ And, just my professors, especially, just how willing everyone was to provide support. The amount of support and just how well connected I felt to being a part of this Northwestern community is something that I’ll definitely always be thankful for. And it really helped my transition to college especially.”
[AH] “SES- student enrichment services I think has just done a good job with all the events they hold and all the resources they have. They just did a good job of making me feel like this Big Ten school, this elite university is very accessible to someone like me.”
While some freshmen have found success in their first year, others have more goals they wish to achieve in the future.
[CV] “I want to be more involved in extracurriculars. Obviously, starting college, I wasn’t sure what my workload would be or how much time I need to set aside to do certain things. And it was really nice because I felt like the workload that I had with my classes, it never felt unfair or anything, it always felt manageable, which is something I was really happy about. I think everyone going to college is like, ‘I’m going to Northwestern, I know I’m gonna have to work hard, but it’s like, I don’t want to have to sacrifice too many things’. I really got into a good groove in my classes, I know how much effort things take, and I really want to start putting more into other things.”
After experiencing their freshman year, I asked what advice they would give to incoming freshmen.
[AH] “I feel like academically, because I kind of came from being obsessed with being a straight A student in high school, I kind of wanted to carry that into my college experience. Although I have been able to maintain super good grades, I find that like you just kind of have to, I don’t want to say care less, but you have to be more realistic because you know, things are gonna be difficult. If anything, I feel like I have a healthier relationship with school now because I’m kind of more realistic with myself rather than just like being like, ‘I need to get an A on every single assignment’ all the time, you know?”
[SC] “Manage your time well- finding a balance between having fun, rest, and getting your work done. And also, a B is not the end of the world. And everyone you’re around is probably gonna be like, I have all As, blah, blah, blah. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. Just take, just take a breath and try to enjoy and maximize your time here while you’re here.”
Enjoy your last 2 weeks of the school year, wildcats!
For WNUR News, I’m Jessica Watts
