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Five tips to help new Pointers succeed

As an orientation peer mentor and campus tour guide, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student Taylar Price has offered plenty of advice for new students who have questions about college life.

The communication major from Beloit offers the following tips to help new students succeed:

• Go to class. “You are in school for a reason,” said Price. “If you miss classes, you lose out on connecting with your professor.” Meet with your professor after class or during office hours, ask questions and show interest in the subject outside of class, she said. “You will learn more as well as enjoy the subject matter more.” Make friends in all your classes so if you do have to miss class, someone can help with notes, she advises. You may also find you have more in common with them than a course – they might live in your hall or share other interests.
• Leave your room. “There’s so much to explore on campus,” Price said. “All you need is yourself and your campus I.D. card.” From enjoying scenic areas like UW-Stevens Point’s Schmeeckle Reserve, to attending events such as movies and concerts, you can do much at little cost. Price also encourages students to study in the library occasionally because it has resources and people to help you in all your subjects.
• Surround yourself with positive people. “Become friends with people who want you to succeed and help you move forward,” Price said. “Positive people help you focus on your academics and offer you support, while you do the same for them.” Having good friends also helps you learn about new organizations, majors and jobs, and you can bounce ideas off each other, she said.
• Leave your comfort zone. “Life begins when you do this,” she said. “This is how you learn something different and become well rounded.” Public speaking, for instance, was new for Price when she worked as a community adviser in the residence hall and summer camp counselor. “The more I did it, the better I got at it,” she said. “Even if you don’t succeed at something, you tried, and you learned from your mistake.”
• Ask for help. This is a tough one for many new college students, Price said. “They don’t want to look weak. But being an adult is about finding what you need when you need it,” she said. Seeking help with her financial aid options was a wise move for Price, because it helped her stay in school.

Homesickness can also be an issue for many new students, but help is nearby.

“Someone is always there for you when you need help – your residence hall community adviser, your classmate, your employer or your professor, or even the Counseling Center on campus."

“College is a place where people try to find themselves,” said Price, who will address first-year students as the speaker for 2016 convocation, a ceremony that introduces students to their academic life at UW-Stevens Point this fall. “If you work hard, you will find so much more about the world and your place in it. Your success is up to you and the choices you make.”