Pieces of BGSU

When coming to college, it is normal that you will be incredibly excited and anxious to begin your new journey in life. It’s an opportunity to recreate yourself, meet new friends and establish a new way of life.

To be honest, when I first arrived on campus I was overwhelmed.  I was meeting tons of people, trying to get acquainted with my living arrangements and doing my best not to look like a typical “lost freshman” when navigating my way to classes.

No lie, college life is a huge adjustment. Don’t be afraid of it, embrace it. However, with all of your newfound freedom be sure to never lose perspective and stay true to your values. Like any large college, you are going to be exposed to a lot of different experiences and are going to have to maintain a sense of balance when approaching them.

Friends are going to want you to go downtown, watch a movie, play video games or go to a party. Take advantage of this time of your life and have fun. BUT you have to maintain perspective and realize that although there are a lot of distractions, school should come FIRST.

Develop a study plan and most importantly, hang out with friends who are also committed to their studies. You have learned by now that who you hang out with and associate with heavily dictates your own actions. If your friends are going to study for a huge final on Friday night instead of go to a party, you’re going to be encouraged to do the same.

I have been here for three years now and the people who are still here—paving a path toward a successful future— aren’t the ones at the bars every night, at the rec at all times of the day, or playing video games until 5 in the morning. Sure they indulged in those activities from time to time, but they are deeply indebted to their studies and their friends were too.

So sift through the incredible amount of people you initially meet and find friends that you can not only have fun with, but encourage you to be a better person and student. It goes a long way and you won’t have too much to regret by the time your finally ready to graduate.

There are a number of things I wish I would have known before coming to BGSU as a sophomore transfer student.

Most simply, bring an umbrella. One of my earliest memories was showing up to my second day of classes drenched and sitting in a pool of rung-out rainwater. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience and I definitely wished someone would have reminded me to bring an umbrella!

On a serious note, I would encourage students to be open-minded and flexible with your new roommates. I came to BGSU without knowing anyone besides one of my good friends from high school. Although he certainly provided a good safety net for me, I was still very nervous about meeting new people and being introduced to the four new roommates that were assigned to our suite in Founders.

As a result, I shut them off and wasn’t very open to getting to know them. Not surprisingly the first couple of weeks were incredibly awkward, and they were not nearly as much fun as I had anticipated. I can remember at one point telling my good friend from high school that I may transfer back home at the end of semester. However, after some encouragement from my parents, I finally opened up to my roommates and broke down a lot of those barriers that made the first few weeks uncomfortable.

Soon all of us were great friends and spent a lot of our free time together. Everything seemed to be better and I was truly enjoying my time here. In fact, almost two years later we remain in good contact and find time to hang out.

Besides opening up a vast array of academic opportunities, college also gives you a great chance expand your social networks and meet friends that may last a lifetime. Fortunately I was able to realize that after the first few weeks, but I certainly wish someone would have told me that earlier.

Another practical piece of advice is to consult all necessary sources possible before buying your books. Books are incredibly expensive, but there are a number of ways to save an incredible amount of money. Whether you are paying for college yourself or are getting assistance from your parents, saving money on books allows you to spend it on something much more exciting such as the movies, food, etc.

One of the most useful resources I have utilized is Chegg and Amazon. Both sites make buying and renting books incredibly easy and affordable. For example, last semester my estimated cost of books was around $800 but I only ended up actually spending $350!

In addition to utilizing websites such as Chegg and Amazon, I would also encourage students to check the University library and local Bowling Green library to see if they hold any copies. Although you may not be able to hold the book the entire semester, overdue charges fall far short of the cost of the book.