Advice for first-year students

With a new school year starting, a new class of first-year students are experiencing the nerves and excitement that come with being somewhere unfamiliar. At Bluffton University, the community feel of campus is part of what helps the first years feel at home. Here’s some advice from older students to help first-year students get settled during their first few weeks on campus. 

Anthony Puluso

Social work

Senior

“Be responsible. Don’t overdo one thing. Be able to manage your time, that’s the biggest reason people leave after the first year or first semester—they just don’t know the responsibility it comes with.”

 

Amber Brown

Nutrition and dietetics

Junior

“Getting involved definitely helps. It feels like people already have their groups, so if you get involved you can make friends that way.”

 

 

Caleb Nesbit

Nursing

Junior

“Stay organized and look ahead.”

 

 

PJ Prunty

Sport management and business administration

Junior

“Get to class early, sit in the front row and listen to your teacher. Make sure you get all your work done. Make it easier on yourself.”

 

 

Tovah Wilson

Graduate assistant — residence life

“Go to as many of the 60 in 6 events as you can. Make sure you go to your first classes, because those are opportunities to meet and connect with new people and push you out of your comfort zone, and you never know who you’ll turn out to be friends with.”

 

 

 

Josie Boehm

Education

Junior

“Work hard and have confidence in yourself.”

 

 

Robert McMullen-Ruppert

Intervention specialist (minor in speech language pathology and audiology)

Senior 

“Stick to your studies and have fun.”

 

 

 

Jarrett Meeker

Elementary education

Junior

“Don’t be scared to go to the professors about any questions or problems you have.”

 

 

Christian Parker

Criminal justice

Junior

“Don’t be afraid to do extracurricular activities, you’re gonna have enough time.”

 

 

Dylan Burkholder

Pre-physical therapy

Senior

“Find some friends you can have a good time with and some friends in your major that you can do school work with. Most importantly make it the best you can, you’re only a freshman once.”

 

 

Andrew Sluss

Social work

Senior

“Don’t be afraid to join clubs, that’s how you make most of your good friends. Don’t be afraid to do something new for the first time, too. Do some of the events that are on campus, like the volleyball tournament or something like that. You never know how much fun you can have.”