How it feels to be a freshman

Title

Language

English

Year

1953

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

How it Feels to Be a Freshma11 By EDMUNDO V. CORTES Many a student will, undoubtedly, find how sweet and disgusting life is during his first year in college. To many, it means a lot of things; to some, nothing but ordinary days to while away. Generally, however, the first year stay in college means the start of an arduous fight, where one has to exert efforts with all the vim and vigor that one can muster. It is a stage where the student starts life anew amidst new environs, after dependently living with his parents during his secondary school years. It is an age of pride and timidity, of uncertainty and inferiority of intellect and of challenge among aspirants for honors. Stepping for the first time inside the unfamiliar rooms of the school, he is faced by various problems. The first thing he has to tackle is an enrolment form confusingly long ahd detailed. After accomplishing this, the registrar tells him to go to other school officials for more tiresome requirements. Being a greenhorn whp knows no more than the atmosphere of his high school life, he pauses for a while, looks over his enrolment papers, and decides where to go. After mustering a little courage, he timidly approaches an old student nearby for assistance. Such is but the start ·of a series of hardships and enjoyment, of ease and discomfort, of triumphs and failures he is destined to experience. He learns to respect and follow superiors, and to spend every bit of his time to the best of his advantage. His fate in this first rung of the ladder will determine whether he can or cannot proceed to the next step. He knows that nights spent religiously with his lessons will bring him the bright prospect of success which in tum will serve as a 'strong foundation for his following years in college. October, 1953 A freshman usually carries that proud air of being a college student, more so if he is an honor student. Comparing college life to his high school days, he feels superior and more privileged, because he derives benefits he has not had before, living in surroundings much better and healthful, perhaps, than home environment. At times, he seems to be smart in both speech and action whereupon he is trimmed or dressed down by his instructors and seniors. In most cases, however, he appears bashful and stand-offish. He is careful with his actuations and dare not utter words that may hurt somebody. A greater portion of his class hoilrs is spent by remaining tight-lipped in his seat, fearing that his attempt to recite might result in failure and embarrassment. He is intermittently in states of uneasiness and dicomfort. Most often, to his surprise, his instructors and senior students give him renewed inpiration to "feel at home" and study harder. He never fails to envy them. At times, when feeling low and discouraged, he asks himself, ''How long do I have to suffer these hardships?" Whereas his first days in college are not very encouraging, as soon as he adjusts himself to his new environ, the latter days will be marked with pleasant hours of relaxation favorable conditions and well-earned joy emanating from the fruitful results of his head-cracking moments in the struggle for self-improvement. The lonesome hours that he used to spend at the start of the school year have transformed themselves into enjoyable periods and pleasant companionship as he begins to gain friends and gets acquainted with his surroundings and under~ stands better his teachers and professors. Page 27

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