Transitioning From High School to College: MSU Students

With nearly 48,000 students on campus at Michigan State University, the seventh largest in 2009 according to the US News, your lecture hall can be a little intimidating.  Your worry is no longer who do you sit with at the lunch table, but where do you even eat lunch? 

Making the transition from High School to College life is an experience that allows students to grow and develop into the person they want to be.  MSU has all the tools necessary to provide students with the opportunity to explore their interests and prepare them for their next big transition into the real world.  These two freshmen share their own unique experience and how they’ve survived their first semester in college.
 

EVAN SMITH

Major: Kinesiology

High School: Harper Creek High School

Hometown: Battle Creel, MI

HCMSU: Heading into your first semester at MSU, what were you looking forward to the most and was there anything you were nervous about?

ES: I was really looking forward to the social life that comes with a big university like MSU and also the opportunity to live on my own. I was a little nervous about how I’d fit in and the difficulty of my classes.

HCMSU: In making the transition from living at home with your parents to living on your own in the dorms, was it easier or more difficult than you expected? Is there anything you’ve struggled adjusting with?

ES: Moving into the dorms was very easy for me. I made friends so quickly it was like I never left home. I struggled at first adjusting to my classes because I didn’t have very good study habits coming into college.

HCMSU: What has been your favorite thing about MSU so far? (Maybe a favorite memory, event, friends, etc.)

ES: I would say my favorite part of MSU thus far has been the football games. It is an awesome and fun game-day atmosphere all around, both before and during the game.

HCMSU: What do you think is the biggest difference between being a senior in high school and a freshman in college? Do you feel like you’ve grown or changed at all? 

ES: The biggest difference between being a senior in high school and being a freshman in college is the importance of studying. Being a senior in high school, you tend to get away with “senioritis” and the poor study habits that come along with it. There is no slowing down in college, and you have to always study to keep up with the fast pace of the course material. My study habits have improved and matured greatly.

HCMSU: Do you feel like the classes you took in high school prepared you for the material that you’re learning in your current courses here at MSU?

ES: Yes and no. Some of the material you cover in high school is reviewed in college and prior experience helps, but the pace at which subjects are taught is so much faster in college compared to high school.

HCMSU: Knowing what you know now, if you could go back to the first day you moved into the dorms, what is one piece of advice you’d give yourself?

ES: Don’t procrastinate. Everything moves incredibly fast in college so always be on top of the task at hand, or you will definitely fall behind.

[pagebreak]

Marissa Hilliard 

Major: Pre-Med

Highschool: Fruitport High School

Hometown: Fruitport, MI

HCMSU: Heading into your first semester at MSU, what were you looking forward to the most and was there anything you were nervous about?

MH: Heading into my first year at MSU, I was looking forward to the football games. I had always watched the games on T.V., and wondered what it would be like to be sitting in the student section. I was very nervous about sharing a room with another person. I wondered if it would work out or if there would be problems. 

HCMSU: In making the transition from living at home with your parents to living on your own in the dorms, was it easier or more difficult than you expected? Is there anything you’ve struggled adjusting with?

MH: Living in the dorm was a big transition for me, although it was much easier than i thought it would be. I love my roommate and we are very comfortable with each other. The room is a little small, but living in the dorm is all part of the college experience. 

HCMSU: What has been your favorite thing about MSU so far? (Maybe a favorite memory, event, friends ext.)

MH: My favorite thing about MSU so far is the football games. Being able to be apart of something so big is so exciting. Also another favorite part is meeting new people. You see a new face everyday, and everyone is so friendly.

HCMSU: What do you think is the biggest difference between being a senior in high school and a freshman in college? Do you feel like you’ve grown or changed at all? 

MH: The biggest difference between high school and college is the choice of whether to go to class or not. Missing class in high school was never an option for me, and I feel like I have grown and matured to be able to make the right decision. 

HCMSU: Do you feel like the classes you took in high school prepared you for the material that you’re learning in your current courses here at MSU?

MH: I do feel like the classes I took in high school prepared me for college. My core classes are a lot easier for me because the material covered is material I covered in high school.

HCMSU: Knowing what you know now, if you could go back to the first day you moved into the dorms, what is one piece of advice you’d give yourself?

MH: One piece of advice I would give myself if I could go back is to be more open. The first weeks of college I was nervous, and I secluded myself from meeting new people. Now that I have opened up and welcomed new people into my life, it makes the college experience so much more fun.