Incoming freshman, Photo by Jenness Steen
Jenness Steen
Reporter
Incoming freshmen classes are more important than we are led to believe. These are the newest group of individuals who we are going to share memories with. They are soon to be the newest members of more than 75 of the campus organizations on campus. They are the group of people that upperclassmen trust to keep the sacred traditions of Mississippi University for Women’s campus alive. They’re the newest members of “the real world” that every high school graduate can’t wait to be a part of. At the end of the day, freshman year of college is an experience of a lifetime and one to never forget.
On Aug. 17 continuing students and faculty members of MUW welcomed its newest residents to campus with its annual “Move In Day” and “Weeks of Welcome” activities. MUW welcomed freshmen from all over the southern region of the county and even from all the way across the world.
Siraj Tuladhar, a freshman from Nepal, stated that his expectations for his first year of college were to hopefully choose the correct major and get a good degree. He plans to obtain a management information systems degree from Mississippi University for Women because of his interest and love for computers.
One of the best parts about being on campus is getting involved in one of the 75 organizations offered for all students. One great aspect of being a student at MUW is taking part in sacred activities such as Recruitment Weekend and Greek Rush but maintaining the academic expectation requirements is important as well.
The newest members to campus are taking an average of 15 to 17 hours for their first semester of college. With all those hours comes a large stack of textbooks. MUW has recently renovated The Bookend and transformed it into a Barnes and Noble. For some, though, buying textbooks is not always the first option that can be made. Even freshmen students, such as Shelby Ward, an accounting major from Tuscaloosa, Ala., stated that she purchased her books from Amazon.com as a way to save some money and still get the correct things she needed.
Coming to college is not always a walk in the park. You have to make adjustments to your daily routines and make decisions that could potential impact your life forever. One of the many important decisions to be made is deciding on the major. Betsie MacLellan, a freshman from Jackson, Miss., chose secondary education with a certification in English as her major. She said that after obtaining a degree from MUW, her dream is to teach in a cross-cultural school here in the United States or overseas.
MacLellan said that she chose this path in life based upon her cultural surroundings where she grew up.
“A lot of my neighbors never graduated from high school for the simple fact that no one ever told them they could,” she said.
She hopes to one day be the one person in a child’s life who says that not only can they graduate from high school, but that they can be someone and anyone they choose to be.
These students hold very high expectations for their futures and strive to be a part of the successful world, just like the rest of the students on campus.
Elizabeth King, a speech pathology major from Pascagoula, Miss., said that she hopes to spend her next four years being as involved as possible on campus.