Murray State University - Shield Yearbook (Murray, KY)

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wo Extremes The New Kids So here they are. They have completed high 1ool, and now they find :mselves on the campus of irray State to begin a new ir-year adventure. But the first year is unlike eothers. During it, these new- mers are not just college stu- 1ts. They're freshmen. The tinction is made because :y lead a life unlike that of perclassmen. The first obstacle is the ad- tment to the differences be- een high school life and col- e life. :reshman Tina Williams said r biggest change was the size the campus. For Vincent Jwn and Steve Weber, the igest change was the appear- :e of harder classes. 'In high school, you don't ve to study, Brown said. lt s relatively easy to slide by. 'But I got here, and it was 'd work, he said. Rnother peculiarity of col- e struck Carol Gotzy. One ng that was really different s coming back second se- :ster, she said. I was used to being on a full- year schedule. It was hard for me to get used to starting over. Those who expect the more knowledgeable upperclassmen to hassle them are often pleas- antly disappointed. Brown said non-freshmen do not give him a hard time. Ev- eryone is nice and helpful. Brown said the help given him by upperclassmen is one of the major advantages of be- ing a freshman. But for Gotzy, ignorance is sometimes a blessing. As a freshman, she said, I think you can kind of get away with things like not knowing where something is. But more often, lack of knowledge is a curse, Gotzy said. You don't know anything about classes or professors. You're kind of at a loss as to what to do about that. In high school, Gotzy con- tinued, The teachers or others around you told you what was going on. Here, it took me a while to find out where to get Philip Key ihman enthusiasm 3bOUl'1dS during Showing the wares of the University Sk FUSIW- Slaiiy Dyer, a Paducah Bookstore is part of a campus tour that hman. 6093965 in IUICYCSUNQ talk at an MSU gives his parent in the fall, party. information. For Brown, the general edu- cation requirements are a ma- jor disadvantage of being a freshman. Weber, meanwhile, found that the freshman male dormi- tory, Richmond Hall, was too loud for him to study easily there. The activities offered by the freshman dorms and by other campus organizations for fresh- men often help them adjust, but they aren't a crucial part of freshman life. Brown and Gotzy said they participated lin a few freshman dorm activities, while Weber and Williams did not. The process of choosing a major is a big problem for some, but not all. Williams said that her major had been planned for a while. For Brown and Weber, it wasn't so easy. Brown has de- cided on political science, while Weber is leaning toward forest- ry. Gotzy also found the choos- ing of a major to be problemat- ic. When I first came here, I went undeclared, she said. But shortly thereafter I decid- ed physical therapy was what I wanted to do. I was afraid to declare a ma- jor. But then I realized that if I don't decide to set my goals - think positively - l'm never going to achieve them. If I don't make it, I'lI deal with it then. Different aspects of fresh- man life stand out for different freshmen. Brown found frater- nity rush to be the most unique aspect of freshman life. Weber was pleased by his new independence - Being able to do what you want to do for the first time and being your own boss. But for Gotzy, being a fresh- man is unique within itself. I kind of hate giving up be- ing a freshman because you're only a freshman once. You're an upperclassman three years, but you're only a freshman once. Q ' Tim Bland and Charlotte Houchins fzztzffri . Curtis Bra wn Freshmen 27

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Two Extreme Hindsight is clearer than fore- sight, as the saying goes. Simi- larly, the view of college life from a freshman's perspective is drastically different than that at the other end of the road. The seniors are the victors, the finishers of the race. And they know just how high the hurdles were and how exhilerat- ing the run. Some have even grown tired of the adventure. Mike Costi- gan, a marketing major, is one. Yes, I'm tired of it, he said. I look forward to getting out. Others, however, aren't so anxious to finish the race. They see the finish line as another starting line. One, Amanda Easley, said, Last year, I was ready to get out. But this year l'm not Veterans' Days sure. Easley said that fatigue and anxiousness about the future are two main disadvantages of senior life. You have to make lots of decisions. lt's hard to get 'into' classes, she said. Costigan said that saying goodbye to the atmosphere of college is a major disadvan- tage. There's insecurity in the real world. There are people to talk with about your problems in college, he said. But the upcoming chance to pursue a career is a big plus of senior life, Costigan said. For Easley, maturity was a major advantage. You start growing up and you see things differently, she said. Lectures chairman Steve Simmons conducts business from the SGA of- fice. Seniors often hold offices in cam- pus organizations. Pam Trogolo 28 Student Life Even seniors have the burden of home- work. Jerry Galvin works on his calcu- lus in the Stable Doors Coffeehouse. You try to meet a lot more people. You're not as afraid. There's more self-assurance. Nursing major Ellis Lindsey agreed. I feel l'm more mature than when I was a freshman, she said. Another major change from freshman year for many is a change in housing. By their senior year, many students have left the cramped lifestyle of dormitories. Costigan moved off campus in his last year. He said off-cam- pus life is less restrictive. Senior life is just as Easley expected it to be. But for Lind- sey, it is better than expected. I can handle things better, she said. Senior life surprised Costi- gan. I didn't think the time would go so fast, he said. I've faced some tough decisions, like not knowing if l'll get a job. Costigan said that since he's been here, The campus has gone haywire. He said it I improved physically and a demically. Lindsey said the general vironment of MSU has Chang most. It is friendlier than wl I was a freshman. The biggest change for E Iey was teachers' attitud Seniors are closer to teach: she said. They want you to par1 pate more, she said. Eai added that often teachers en the help of the experienced s iors. For Lindsey, the m unique aspect of senior life a feeling of completeness. Costigan expressed a sim relief in finishing the coll race. I've made it this far, said. I never dreamed l'd through college when I wa: high school. I have a good feeling of complishmentf' Q 0 Tim B and Charlotte Houc 7 .. Q I' ff' arf-we ' Curtis