June 2003

Freshmen learn lessons for a lifetime

	"Living away from home is really not fun sometimes," Chelsea Johnson says. (Julia Ann Easley/News Service)

"When you get to college, you're pretty much free to do anything you want with no one watching over you," said Lily Pettler, a first-year student majoring in political science at UC Davis.

Her view of the freshman experience is widely shared by other students, even though staff monitor the residence halls and faculty govern the classroom. No set of eyes observes as carefully as Mom and Dad did in high school, and most of a student's day-to-day contact is with peers.

First-year students experience this new independence as a major step into adulthood, and when asked, "What have you learned that will last a lifetime?" they had plenty to say.

First they spoke of friends.

"I've learned that friendship is what holds you together," said one young woman, who relied heavily on her roommates and new friends.

Several students mentioned feeling close with roommates, but it doesn't always happen. "I learned how to live with people I don't like," said one young woman hanging onto the arm of her boyfriend.

Indeed, much of the success or failure of first-year relationships hinges on the student's ability to live in close quarters with strangers.

"I've learned that no matter how well you and your roommate get along, sometimes you both just need time to yourself," said Chelsea Johnson, who has not yet declared a major. "And don't set your alarm for 6 a.m., hit the snooze button every 10 minutes for an hour, and then sleep through class anyway, because that kind of thing doesn't help roommate relations."

Even while mastering the details of getting along, students grasp the larger picture. "I learned about the incredible diversity of people in California," said one student whose eyes were opened, even after growing up in the Bay Area.

The first "lifetime lesson" was about getting along with others, but the second was about managing yourself. Numerous freshmen cited the importance of self-discipline, although many admitted that they haven't mastered it yet.

"Going to bed early is a good thing, and I wish I could do it every night," one male student observed ruefully.

"Keep yourself organized," Johnson advised, "and never, ever, lose your syllabus."

"Put things off and you drown," offered a third student.

	""It is very important to put a lot of effort into what I want," Faranak Kamangar writes. (Julia Ann Easley/News Service)

Sometimes the competition in college helps students become more disciplined. Faranak Kamangar, a biochemistry major, wrote, "It is very important to put a lot of effort into what I want, because there are so many other people who want the same thing and there's just no room to slack off."

In some cases, students find additional motivation.

Pettler explained, "You're here to learn things, so it's important not to do just the minimum. Don't just do the reading. Think about what you read. You're not just here for the grades, because after college, your real life starts."

Finally -- and of special interest to parents -- students are still learning about home.

"I've learned that living away from home is really not fun sometimes, no matter how much you wanted to leave the house during high school," Johnson said.

"I've learned that living by yourself is not easy. Family and home are a lot more important to me than I thought," said another young woman.

In general, the answers of male students weren't as ready as those of female students, but here's what one young man offered: "What have I learned that will last a lifetime? I've learned that once in a while, it's very nice to go back home."

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