For most students, beginning college is an undeniably exciting—and sometimes anxiety-inducing—time. As Case Western Reserve University’s Class of 2028 settles on campus this week, we’ve gathered advice to help ease their transitions.
Earlier this month, we asked members of the CWRU community what they wish they had known before starting college—and they delivered. Their insights inspired questions we posed to some of this year’s orientation leaders ahead of Discover Week to get their takes on some of the most challenging aspects of being the new kids on campus.
Here’s what they had to say, with answers grouped into common themes.
Answers have been lightly edited for length.
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Whether you’re struggling with an especially difficult topic in class or trying to decide how to navigate a particular situation, there’s plenty of support at CWRU—all you need to do is ask. Orientation leaders offered the following advice for seeking assistance:
“A lot of students coming to CWRU are very academically intelligent and have worked really hard to get here, and they didn’t always need the help back home. But now you’re with a lot of other people who are also academically smart. Go to your professors’ office hours. They really like to talk to you. I had a professor freshman year for calculus who had a couch and peanut M&M’s in his office and just wanted you to come say hi.” – Courtenay Mackey, third-year, aerospace and mechanical engineering
“If you’re asking a professor for help, definitely talk to them in person. Schedule office hours or even go to them after class and explain your situation.” – Kerrigan Peoples, fourth-year, nursing
“Reach out to the TAs or the SIs (supplemental instructors) for the class first if you have them and then talk to people who sit around you in class, because if you’re confused, they’re probably also confused.” – Catherine Supron, fourth-year, data science and analytics
“It’s important to understand that everyone is a student here and what you might be going through, someone was also in that same situation or same shoes at some point, so it’s OK to feel intimidated. But just know that they’re there to support you and not there to criticize you. The goal is for you to have a rich experience and to be successful with your college life experiences.” – Denzel Salas, fourth-year, biomedical engineering
2. Embrace making new friends—and know your peers are looking to make friends, too.
Don’t know anyone at CWRU yet? That’s OK—you’re not alone. Just about every first-year student is in the same place. Even if you’re an introvert, there are tried and true methods to find your closest friends at CWRU. Orientation leaders suggested the following:
“Find something you’re super interested in and passionate about, and then find a club or an organization that matches that and start off there. Then just kind of take it slow and once you kind of get in your groove and get comfortable, you can start branching out and joining more clubs.” – Kerrigan Peoples, fourth-year, nursing
“I think it’s a good thing to approach everything with an open mind. You’re used to your safe space, your little shell, your bubble. But make a little bit of an effort to put yourself out there, whether attending Student Activities Fair, making friends in classes, having a conversation, going to lunch together. Little stuff like that is how you’ll really expand your circle.” – Denzel Salas, fourth-year, biomedical engineering
“I think what’s really fun is finding a community similar to one you might have had in high school. For me, it was an athletic community because I danced in high school. It’s really cool finding this little outlet that’s honestly not related to my future career.” – Kelsey Lopez, third-year, biochemistry
3. Take advantage of campus resources.
CWRU has an immense ecosystem of support available to students to help you succeed in the classroom and beyond. Check back with The Daily Monday through Friday year round to keep up with many of the offerings on and around campus. Looking for more personalized suggestions? Consider the following advice:
“I would definitely get in touch with your advisor. They’re going to be your point of contact for academics or academic support resources, but they can also put you in touch with different extracurricular groups if there’s something that you’re interested in, but you don’t know where to find it. [Also] definitely reach out to your OLs and your RAs because they can help you. They have a network here on campus and they can put you in touch with any of these interests.” – Samantha Wildman, third-year, biochemistry
“The bulletin has all of the classes you need to take and in what order you should take them. I live by that. I love it so much. I’ve also reached out to professors that I have classes with and said, ‘Hey, you mentioned this and I’m interested in this too. Do you have any resources to read more about it or ways to get involved?’ And they’re always more than happy to share interest with you.” – Catherine Supron, fourth-year, data science and analytics
4. Don’t forget to tend to your emotional and mental wellness.
Starting college can be an emotional time for many, and if you’re experiencing that, you’re not alone. Even as you move through your studies at CWRU, you might need to pause. University Health and Counseling Services offers a wide array of options, plus you can try the following to give your mind a break:
“My rule of thumb has become if I don’t know [a topic] by midnight or 1 a.m., I don’t know it and it’s better to sleep than to try to cram. I also take walks when I’m studying for a long time and I feel like my brain is about to explode. You get a smoothie or coffee or something and then you come back really rejuvenated.” – Catherine Supron, fourth-year, data science and analytics
“I know being a CWRU student, there’s this culture of always studying. But it’s important to also make sure you are pursuing your hobbies. There’s a lot of things to explore here in Cleveland, such as the museums, Cleveland Botanical Garden, and so many food places down Euclid.” – Denzel Salas, fourth-year, biomedical engineering
“I’m a part of this club called University Program Board (UPB). We organize and hold a bunch of events throughout the school year. I found that joining this club as well as going to the events UPB holds is very helpful to destress. There are so many events going on, even outside of UPB. Check out any calendars and clubs and you’ll be able to find so many different and interesting events that are going on throughout the whole school year.” – Lani Park, third-year, international studies and medical anthropology
5. Remember there’s more to the college experience than just academics.
CWRU students are undoubtedly academically driven, but there are still plenty of ways to have fun between classes, exams, research opportunities and other obligations. Not sure how you’ll manage to fit it all in? Find out what some of orientation leaders suggested:
“A lot of extracurriculars also overlap with your future career goals and things that you’re interested in. So that’s also a great way to have some fun doing something that you’re passionate about while building toward your career. It’s good to explore and develop skills outside of that.” – Ayah Lababede, fourth-year, biology
“I think the big thing is picking your friends and being willing to say ‘yes’ to your friends with things like taking a random trip to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or, like my friends and I did, a trip to Top Golf in prom dresses. That makes no sense, but is fun and is a great way to destress from school.” – Courtenay Mackey
“Go with friends somewhere and try something new. I’ve tried to do that more over the past few years, and I’ve had some of the best experiences. Everybody is very focused academically at this school. So it’s not too hard to work really hard, but also play hard.” – Julia Cho, third-year, biomedical engineering