By The Gatepost Editorial Board
The transition to college is overwhelming. No matter what school a student comes from or to, it will always still be that - a transition.
Coming to college means students are granted much more independence than they ever had in their academic careers as well as their personal lives.
However, this independence can also come with loneliness as students may be living away from home for the first time in their lives. Or if they are commuting, they may be taking on a whole new routine that is separate from their support system.
Becoming engaged on campus and with the FSU community is the best way to combat the isolation that initially comes with being a new student.
Engagement can look different for every student.
It can be short term, such as attending an Arts & Ideas presentation, or long term, such as joining a student organization or sports team.
It can be academic, such as participating in classes and going to office hours, or social, such as attending a residence hall event.
But it can also be engaging in self care, such as eating well, getting enough sleep, and using campus resources, including the Health and Wellness Center.
However, the only way for students to become engaged in college is by being proactive.
Engagement is about discovering how you want to be a member of the FSU community and actively seeking to reach that goal.
Here at Framingham State University, everyone understands the challenges of asking for help and taking those first steps to become engaged, and therefore, everyone - from building maintainers to our new University president, Nancy Niemi - is more than willing to assist.
Though some high school teachers like to scare their students into believing they’ll be on their own in college and professors will not care, that is simply not the case at FSU.
Professors hold weekly office hours designed to provide support in a one-on-one format for their specific courses. Students should feel free to attend these to ask questions, share concerns, or simply to chat.
The Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA) provides tutoring for all as well as accommodations for those who may have received an IEP or 504 in high school.
Career Services and Employer Relations helps students construct resumés and cover letters, find internships, and prepare for the job market.
Foster Hall is home to both the Health and Counseling centers. Both of these wellness resources support students’ efforts to maintain physical and mental health.
The Dean of Students Office supplies relief in situations of crisis, food and housing insecurity, as well as financial emergency.
This office also operates the Rams Resource Center (RRC), which supplies toiletries and non-perishable food items to those in need.
Lorretta Holloway, vice president of academic enhancement, maintains a laptop loaner program for students who do not have one or are having difficulties with their own.
If a student is having problems in a residence hall, resident assistants, administrative resident assistants, and area directors are there to provide support and conflict management to ensure all residents feel comfortable in their on-campus homes.
Students who feel unsafe on campus or see any suspicious activity can contact University Police either through a phone call or by using an emergency blue light. These lights are stationed all around campus and have a button that will automatically connect the student with a police officer.
On campus, there is an array of student organizations, including student government, affinity groups, major-based groups, faith-based groups, and special-interest groups. These organizations are managed by Student Involvement and Leadership Development and can be found on Ramlink.
We at The Gatepost are here for you as well. Your 90-year-old, award-winning college newspaper publishes every week. We inform and entertain the campus community and serve as a forum for free expression and creativity.
Becoming engaged on campus is not weird or embarrassing. You should not be intimidated. The FSU community is incredibly warm and inviting.
No matter who you are, you will be embraced!
No matter where you’re from, you are home!
Welcome to FSU!