A JMU First Year Survival Guide By Jonathan Church

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A JMU First-Year Survival Guide by Jonathan Church
Intro: So you’ve graduated high school and you’re feeling on top of the world, you’ve gotten into the best school in Virginia (JMU of course), and you had all of summer to be excited as can be for the adventures you are sure to have at the college of your dreams. But before your first semester as a college student can get underway here are 10 tips (call it a survival guide) to make your first year at JMU a memorable one.
Understandably, most young adults aren't ready for the college lifestyle. They're unprepared for the longer hours spent on school work, the looming financial costs, and the freedom that has suddenly been thrust upon them. There is no need to point at anyone for blame but rather let’s just get you onto the right track!
The first piece of knowledge I will dispense to you is that your professors are NOT your parents! Professors are there to teach and help you comprehend the material. They are not there to tell you how special you are, that you are capable of anything, or to give you all the answers. Having said that, professors are not some kind of weird creature who teaches and then disappears into some mist, they are people: mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles alike. They live among us, blending into the general population, hard to believe right?! I tell you this so that you can befriend them. Have a chat with them once in a while and ask how things are going. There is no reason that you cannot be friends with a professor, besides it may help you…they do grade your work. And guess who will be writing letters of recommendation for you 4 years from now? Besides these guys have done college already, most of them more than twice, they are the perfect...

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... you can and because you'll never know what you love if don’t you search for it. Do it because it really is now or never. You are still young enough to not have your mind made up but old enough to have the door opened to many opportunities. When I grew up I had the mindset that you either did something perfect or it wasn’t worth doing. This made me scared to try new things because I knew it wouldn’t be perfect the first time. Don’t be like I was go out and do new things, this is your chance to explore what you love in life. The best part about this is the memories are there for the rest of your life, even when you’re old and senile. This is very sound advice. (Stay out of the illegal stuff though).

Enjoy your time at JMU! Be productive, be adventurous, and soak up all the information you can whether it is related to your schoolwork or not. And of course, Go Dukes!

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