ENMU faculty offer tips for incoming freshmen

With the beginning of college classes just around the corner, what can freshmen do to succeed in their new environment?

Eastern New Mexico University Vice President for Student Affairs Judith Haislett started at the beginning, advising students to relax on move-in day.

“We will get everything done,” she said. “It’s a fun, busy day.”

ENMU Wellness Counselor Leslie Jones said new students should create a schedule that factors in schoolwork, jobs and fun, and then try the schedule to see if it works. If not, she said, they can trim it.

Haislett said her biggest tip was for students to get to know faculty members in order to get help.

“Be sure to go to every class,” she also said. “Every class meeting is very important.”

Students should also study twice as many hours as they think they need to, Haislett said.

While college concentrates on the academic portion of a person’s life, Jones said, students should fulfill other aspects of themselves as well. Doing something for themselves will help them focus, she said.

In addition, Jones believes setting both short-term and long-term goals is important during college. Those objectives help determine if an academic program fits and remind students why they’re in college when the experience becomes difficult, she said.

For students who don’t know what they want to do, Jones said, university career counselors can help.

“Some students may be faced with a situation that’s unforeseen, that they didn’t necessarily prepare for,” Jones continued.

Personal counselors at a university can help with these circumstances and temptations, she said.

Also, Jones recommended that students get enough sleep, eat right and exercise at least a little. Taking care of their bodies will help them do well in academics, too, she said.

Haislett encouraged students to get a flu vaccination the minute it becomes available and to make sure they have health insurance.

As for developing a social circle, Jones recommended attending ENMU’s Dawg Days new student orientation.

“That’s going to get them a good introduction to the campus, the staff, some faculty and definitely lots of students, old and new,” she said.

Then, Jones said, students should continue to be involved in campus life.

“And then finally, I would tell students, especially new students, that college is going to be very difficult at times,” Jones said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing it.”

The campus has many resources to help, she said.