Freshmen's first semester is 'in the books'

by Kielly Jewell, posted Dec. 9, 2009

The 2009 fall semester is finally coming to a close. Classes are wrapping up with regular exams and heading towards final exams that begin on Dec. 11.

MU’s freshman class can almost label their first semester as “in the books.” The first day of class jitters have died down, and now students feel comfortable in their classrooms and learning environments. The dorms are even coming to be known as a welcoming place of refuge during the day.

With finals just around the corner, students have mixed feelings about them. Some are very nervous and anxious about their exams, whereas others just want to get them over with so they can go home for winter break.

Jordan Russell, an animal science freshman, thinks that her finals may be easier than the previous tests throughout the semester.

“I am kind of nervous, but I think they will be easier than most,” Russell said.

Hannah Sandidge, an animal science freshman, has several finals to take before she can leave this semester behind.

“I am pretty nervous about my finals,” Sandidge said. “I don’t think that they will be all that difficult, but I’m sure they will still manage to surprise me.”

Taylor Bryant, an agricultural education freshman, is a little nervous for her upcoming exams.

“I feel that I am not prepared for them because I did not study over Thanksgiving break, but they are spread out over several days, so it should be fine,” Bryant said.

Mary Grigsby, associate professor of rural sociology, suggests to stay calm and allow enough time to prepare.

“It is easy to say and hard to do, but I think it is really important to make sure you get enough sleep and exercise to reduce stress along with preparing for your final exams,” Grigsby said.

Dorm life is another major adjustment for college freshman. The student staff members of residential life are there to make sure that the residents have a smooth transition from home to dorm.

Morgan Stout, a biochemistry and psychology pre-med junior, is the first floor community adviser in Schurz Hall. This is Stout’s first year as a residential life staff member, and she was uncertain of how the semester was going to go in the beginning.

“I’ll admit I was worried about relating to the residents at first, but everything smoothed out once I got to know everyone individually,” Stout said.

As the semester got going, the first floor residents created lasting friendships and a fun atmosphere to live in.

“The agriculture community residents are down to earth, but by no means boring,” Stout said. “Something is always happening! They are a diverse group, a lot of different backgrounds and career choices are represented on the floor, but they all seem to get along really well.”

December is here, and students can finally think about packing their belongings to go home for a month. The freshmen survived their first semester, and they will surely survive their semesters to come.

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