Picture it: Minton Hall, 2016. My parents and I pulled up to the dorm as a sea of freshmen unloaded a plethora of decorations and school supplies for their room. Though there certainly would not be enough space for all the things they brought — as is always the plague for incoming freshman — the excess was worth making a dorm feel like home. 

After exiting the car to begin my own unpacking adventure, my roommate, whom I’d never met in person, gave me a hug and brought a band of people to help unload the car. Sarah, who was honestly the best first roommate I could imagine, was kind, quiet and considerate.

From there, a music major and journalism major began their freshman year.

Room 803, right side. It was my favorite place I’ve lived in college (Despite Minton’s mold epidemic last year). It was the place with the best sunsets, the best view of Downing Student Union and South Lawn, and it was a place where I grew a lot. There was a lot I learned that first year:

1. It’s OK to be lonely sometimes. Life doesn’t come with a guaranteed social-and-relational-fulfillment seal on it, especially in college. It’s a difficult trek, but it’s a worthy one when stuck out until the end. 

2. Studying gets harder but more interesting if you’re in the right major for you. Once you get to your senior year, you realize your freshman courses weren’t so bad — unless you were in Dr. D’s history 102 class, of course.

3. Be present and get connected. If you don’t put yourself out there, you’re likely not going to have any sort of community. Due to the amount of times I had to be bold and ask people to hang out that first year, I switched from being a test-proven introvert to an extrovert. Talking to other students can be scary, but most of your peers are in the same boat. I met three of my best friends from a Bible study we’ve attended since the first semester of college. Not all freshman encounters dissolve.

4. Explore Bowling Green. Campus is beautiful — my favorite drive in all of the city is going up College Street from the square to Cherry Hall. Most of you probably don’t plan on staying here after graduation, so take in all that you can. Study off campus (Spencer’s Coffee is a hub for a reason), go to the Christmas movies they show at Capitol Theatre every December, play disc golf at one of the local parks or check out the consignment stores and local boutiques!

5. Finally, walk up the hill once in a while. The bus is convenient, but you miss passing so many people and seeing the white squirrels when you take the less straining route. Also, you might find on a random Thursday night the doors to Cherry are still unlocked, and that’s when you and your friends climb through an upper window and onto the roof. It’s the best view in all of Bowling Green. But I’m not speaking from experience, of course (wink, wink).

As a freshman, this first semester might be the most difficult point in your life so far. That’s OK. Don’t give up on it. You’ll come out of that first year — if you really challenge yourself — much better than you were before. 

Though I’ve seen my fair share of goodbyes, leaving WKU in the spring will by far be one of the hardest. As they say, Tops on top!

Features reporter Katelyn Latture can be reached at [email protected].