Broward Community College - Silver Sands Yearbook (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

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Jfi 'E . 'ne , 5 r ,S I 3 vm A l ii -a f ,-- is zvetwri 1 . affect the Freshman in various ways. Sometimes he revels in a new-found independence while at other times he finds the adjustment difficult and has trouble allocating time between studies, dates, and a possible job. Learning that with freedom comes responsibility is often one of the hardest lessons for the college Freshman. Although he may have come in contact with facts about college life be- fore, it is still a jolt. pleasant or otherwise, to find that no one comes to the student to direct him in every move, every choice, and every hour of his day. Bulletin boards, faculty advisors, and guidance mate- rial are made available to the student, however, it is up to him to keep himself well informed. Nothing is quite the same as the desolate feeling that spreads over the Freshman as he stands at the door of a room for an interview. advisement appointment, or testing, only to find that the deadline was the day before and he has lost valuable time, contacts, or money. Certainly he feels thwarted but, more than that, he comes to the realization that only he is the Hcaptain of his fate and master of his soul. The understanding that the success or failure of his college career is entirely up to him is one of the factors that matures a Freshman during his first year of collegiate environment. The choices he makes concerning classes, friends, and every aspect of campus life will affect him in the future. The first year of college is definitely a time of impor- tant decisions, although it is seldom that the Fresh- man realizes this at the time. Studies are much more difficult in college and no longer are academics a game in which a student tries to see how little he can do during a term for 12 Class schedules all diiier ' and it is not unusual for a stu- dent to attend classes only on 5 certain days of the school - week. Ng 'trio V a passing grade. The Freshman encounters well educated adults who are prepared for their profes- sion. All have attained a master's degree and many have received their doctorates. The instructors po- litely address students correctly by their last name, impressing them with the formality and privilege of education. The desire to be recognized motivates many students during their first year in college. In the higher institutions of today, where one is recorded as a number and referred to as such for years fol- lowing, the need to be noticed and accepted is great. Often the Freshman finds that he is becoming inter- 4 i.. Q. .. ,, 4 Q Q-if f -1, f 1..1,.-ff 4,41 lf, bf vxslx L- I. I' ' - XIII! . ' ':lll - xllll- 'E ,,..- ' , xglsli . I , ' xx, 1 ' . 1 A - -A 'Le li: 1 F-. ., , x .- . . , . 'ul In the higher institutions of today, where one is re- corded as a number and referred to as such for years Iol- lowing, the need to be noticed and accepted is great.

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. . . eallfaudi , cfedbze an! anliici caliian -sr--f 5 l? 5 , 1 ku- nw mf 'w g HE professors, administrators and students who work within the modernistic buildings of the college present a routine, a way of life, that is almost totally new to the entering Freshman. The faces are strange, the procedures are not clear, and the atmosphere is adult and progressive. Although he feels confused and perhaps even a little afraid of failure, his enthusiasm, desire, and anticipation mount within him from the moment he registers. Hope becomes an integral part of the Freshman, and everything he attempts is touched by it. This, cou- pled with desire, enables him to overcome many obstacles during the year, including his feelings of frustration and lack of self confidence. The differences between college and high school range from the small complexities that baffle and ' H53 ,i-fn. . L . W, .w. 5 1 1 V, fbfgazorz cAJo.s1cflz E f S ,. Z ?' E. i lf 2 . . . the Freshman year is a time of 5 learning and reaching toward a goal. awmfig . U confuse the Freshman, to the large pitfalls that the Sophomore has already forgotten. Sometimes it comes as a surprise to the new student that it is possible to attend classes on the same campus with a friend and yet for an entire term never come face to face with him. Class schedules all differ and it is not unusual for a student to attend classes only on certain days of the school week. It is a novelty for many Freshmen to attend classes with students of various ages. The word Freshman denotes no spe- cial age but merely one in his first year of college. Ex-service men, wives with families, or teachers themselves may comprise a class along with upper classmen. All are bound together by the quest for knowledge. Differences between college and high school ll

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T ,z :S 3 z' q' l ll ll 1 lll'1x l 9 The first year of college is definitely a time of important decisions, although it is seldom that the Freshman realizes this at the time. ested in fields totally different from those of his high school career. He may be exhibiting leader- ship qualities that he did not know existed, and his enthusiasm for activities on campus is great. Many times the shy, reserved student comes out of his shell in college, finding himself for the first time unhampered by the group of classmates that he has known since elementary school. New to the Freshman are many facts and cir- cumstances that he finds very difficult to accept. His difficulty in accepting them may lead to disconcert- ment and feelings of resentment, but it is part of that maturation process known as college. No mat- ter how much the Freshman has heard, nothing quite prepares him for that feeling of utter frustration which comes when he finds that two of his neces- sary classes meet at the same time, and his schedule is now unbelievably confused. The fact that he can- not slip by in a class without studying a great deal is discouraging, as are so many other facts of col- lege life. Pride and a feeling of accomplishment become the guideposts of a job well done. A grade is no longer merely a letter that signifies passing or fail- ing, but a symbol representing hours of study, re- search, and money. The college grades or professors' approvals are not easily earned and the Freshman finds that perhaps he is not as accomplished or ex- perienced as he had thought. It is at this time that he realizes that he truly is a novice, esp., a student during his first year, as in a college, as Webster's Dictionary defines the term Freshmanf' It is only gradually that the new student over- comes the feeling of being a novice on the college campus. The simplest procedure becomes a task when faced by the Freshman. At first, even the com- putation of a term grade average is difficult. Hours, credits, and points must all be considered and un- derstood to compile a grade average or to under- stand the fulfillment of academic requirements. Some students remain in the Freshman stage, in this re- spect, until the time of graduation, when they are informed of missing credits. Books are no longer distributed in the class- room with neatly lined cards but, instead, must be purchased carefully according to term, course, and number. The cost of books is expensive and the new f 5 ' l Fr., 4 - ' J H .L Alix QW uf The choices he makes concerning classes, friends, and every aspect of campus life will affect him in the future. 13