Students Finish First Year With New Sense of Self

The first year of college is a time of change, punctuated by triumphs and tribulations, surprises and self-discoveries.

first-year students
First-year students gather in the fall, (back row, left to right) Arnold Asjes, Melissa Ramirez and Janette Abassi; (front row, left to right) Morgan Latiolais, Matt LaLonde.

The long journey students take over their first year of college is also a time for questions, said IWU Director of Counseling Services Annorah Moorman. “First-year students ask themselves what they want their path to be. It is a time to develop a new sense of identity,” she said. “It can be challenging, and it should be challenging, as all opportunities for personal growth are.”

To talk about overcoming the challenges of their first year at college, five Illinois Wesleyan first-year students agreed to gather several times during the 2010-2011 academic year. Getting together on the Quad, in the DugOut, in classrooms and theatres, the students spoke of their experiences with homesickness, classes, stress and the responsibilities that come with leaving home.

More