{"id":1159,"date":"2012-09-07T17:18:46","date_gmt":"2012-09-07T17:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/jsuflash\/?p=1159"},"modified":"2012-09-07T17:18:46","modified_gmt":"2012-09-07T17:18:46","slug":"freshmen-explain-how-they-are-coping-with-being-away-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/2012\/09\/07\/freshmen-explain-how-they-are-coping-with-being-away-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Freshmen explain how they are coping with being away from home"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Frehman holds his security blanket tight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kachelle Pratcher<\/strong>
\nBlue & White Flash \/ Staff Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

The thrill of going away to college for the first time can raise different emotions from students and parents.<\/p>\n

Excited, anxious, scary, and overwhelming are words that can describe the feelings of first year college students when arriving to campus on that move-in day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited and was so ready to get away, it is a wake-up call and a reality check, I\u00a0 finally get to do things on my own,\u201d said Kailen Townsend, a freshman business administration major from Chicago, Ill.<\/p>\n

Some students are happy to be away from home and can finally be on their own while others dread\u00a0 leaving their parents and having to share a room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have mixed feelings when it comes to being at college, I love that I\u2019m starting a new chapter in my life, but it does get scary at times,\u201d said freshman mass communications major Chandelle Reed from Dallas, Texas.<\/p>\n

The first couple of weeks can be hard to adjust to with so many new faces and things going on around you.\u00a0 Staying fit and maintaining wellness can be beneficial to relieving stress and staying healthy.<\/p>\n

Rachel Cowan, director of the Walter Payton Center said freshmen were introduced to the concept of wellness and recreation during the first week of the semester at the R.O.M.P. at the Rec.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis event is our way of introducing freshman students to the facilities, our services and programs and helping them to consider their health, wellness and physical fitness,\u201d said Cowan.<\/p>\n

She added that working out helps to reduce stress and helps individuals take their mind off whatever is causing them stress. \u201cExercising helps you cope with whatever is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adjusting to the new scenery, keeping up with the many events and registration schedules can be hectic and overwhelming. Making that transition from high school to college isn\u2019t easy but attending \u2018Welcome Week\u2019 activities and meet and greet dorm blisters can make the transition a little smoother.<\/p>\n

\u201cJackson State made me feel comfortable these first few weeks,\u00a0 I love this school.\u00a0 Occasionally I miss home, but being away is okay for now,\u201d said Barbara Wilson, a freshman biology major from Southfield, Mich.<\/p>\n

While this will be an exciting time in your lives, experiencing homesickness is common and it is normal to feel loneliness and anxiety from classes. But remember there is always someone to talk to such as community assistants who are older students that live the floor of residence halls.
\nThose experiencing extreme stress can also visit the Latasha Norman Center for Counseling and Disability services.<\/p>\n

Frances White, a therapist at the center, in a series of tips provided to freshman students stated that students should not overextend themselves and jeopardize their grades by participation\u00a0 in too many activities and an extra heavy work load.<\/p>\n

Other tips given by the LNC to ease the transition to college include:
\n\u2022 As you move forward in your new surroundings, it\u2019s normal to miss family and friends! It might be a good idea to put up pictures of them in your room.\u00a0 Call or write to them about the new people, activities and friendships you have made and get to know your roommates and classmates.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You may need one or more of your classmates to become a study friend. Find out about tutorial services. JSU has student mentors who can answer some of your questions and help you adjust to college life.\u00a0 Build new support systems.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Plan your time well and in advance: Make a schedule for yourself. Be sure to include activities such as sports events, concerts, meetings, etc., in addition to study time and other extracurricular activities.\u00a0 Make sure that you designate enough time to take care of your academic work, including projects.\u00a0 Balance your coursework and extracurricular activities!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kachelle Pratcher Blue & White Flash \/ Staff Writer The thrill of going away to college for the first time can raise different emotions from students and parents. Excited, anxious, scary, and overwhelming are words that can describe the feelings of first year college students when arriving to campus on that move-in day. \u201cI\u2019m really […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-campus-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.jsums.edu\/theflash\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}