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STUDENT LIFE | BACK TO CAMPUS GUIDE | AUGUST 2020 | • 41
Take risks, make friends DESIREE NIXON News Editor @DesireeNixon17 Freshman year of college can be an exciting experience. However, it can also be nerve-racking for students. They move away from homes and sometimes don’t have anyone at school to talk to. Upperclassman and the counseling center offer support and advice for new students. Alumnus Courtney Denbow came to Missouri State without a large support system. Her hometown was five hours away and she only knew one person at MSU. “You have to be willing to try new things and get out of your comfort zone in order to really be a part of the community,” Denbow said. Denbow said she soon discovered she is in charge of creating her own experience. Fiona Lefresne, a graduate athletic training student, came to MSU from Florida and knew no one. She knew she had to talk to people she did not know in order to do things. “What helped me was asking the other peo-
Graphic by Katelyn Betz/ THE STANDARD
Students away from home for the first time are in charge of creating their own experiences.
ple on my (residence hall) floor to do things, even if we didn’t know each other,” Lefresne said. “My friend circle slowly expanded from there.” Lefresne said her friend circle grew and she began to love MSU. She said she loved it so much she decided to stay for two more years to get her master’s degree. Her loneliness was overcome.
Rhonda Lesley, director of Magers Health and Wellness’ Counseling Center, offers similar advice she said students need to know that being homesick and lonely can be normal for some freshmen. However, that should not determine your experience. “Acknowledge the feelings as being a normal part of being away at a new space,” Lesley said. This may be somewhat normal, however,
Lesley said students should not feel alone. “Recognize you are not alone in your feelings,” Lesley said. “There are plenty of other new students longing for their friends and family back home.” In order to move past those feelings, Lesley said she advises students to go out and try something new. They should try to be involved and reach out to others. However, if that does not work, Lesley said the university has resources to help. “If you are feeling depressed or anxious to the point it is significantly impairing your ability to do what you need to do, schedule an appointment with one of the counselors in the counseling center,” Lesley said. The MSU’s counseling center offers free counseling services to students, Lesley said. “Students taking at least one credit hour may utilize up to eight sessions of counseling per semester,” Lesley said. “The sessions help students get back to ‘normal’ or find a ‘new normal.’” In order to make an appointment at the counseling center, call 417-836-5116. Lesley said her personal advice to students is to have a good balance of sleep, exercise and social life. “Balance seems to be a huge part of the secret to success as a college student,” Lesley said. For more information regarding the counseling center visit the counseling center’s website at counselingcenter.missouristate.edu.
