Advice from a current colonel!
Hey there, #FutureColonel! My name is Kelsi. I am a second-year Master’s student, pursuing a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I graduated from EKU in May 2018 with my Bachelor’s in Psychology. Additionally, I have been working for the Office of Admissions since my sophomore year.
When I was an incoming freshman, I was full of nerves. I had questions constantly running through my mind. What will campus life be like? Will I make a lot of friends? How will I get involved? Since I've recently been in your shoes, I'm happy to share some advice I wish I had known as a freshman:
- Get involved! When I came to campus, I went through sorority recruitment. I made a ton of friends through Greek Life. While Greek Life is a wonderful option, EKU has hundreds of Registered Student Organizations for you to choose from! You’ll find one (and if not, you can grab a few friends and create your own!).
- Spend weekends on campus. Some people go home on the weekends, but you will make amazing memories by staying on campus. You can do a study group in the library, meet up with people in The Ravine, or even venture out into the Richmond community or Lexington to grab a bite or see a movie!
- Stay open minded. I understand from my own experience how important resident life is. We want to be in the best residence hall and have the perfect roommate. However, I want to let you know that even if you think the situation you are in isn’t perfect, give it time. It could turn out being a great option! Also, you may become good friends with the roommate you don’t know.
- Attend all of your classes. Some instructors do not enforce an attendance policy (a good rule of thumb is to check your syllabus). As an incoming freshman, this may be exciting. However, do not start skipping classes. As a freshman, I skipped a couple of early morning classes because there wasn’t an attendance policy, but I missed out on a lot of important information. This can be detrimental to your grades. Go to class!
EKU has provided me with so much opportunity, experience, and friendship. I am extremely grateful that I chose to become a Colonel five years ago. The #CampusBeautiful is a warm, beautiful place to be. You will always see a friendly face when walking across the campus.
I hope that you will have wonderful experiences as EKU like I have!
Go Colonels!
Published on August 07, 2018
