Transitioning to college presents new students with many different challenges, but senior students at Pace reflect on what they wish they knew when they were freshmen.

Meeting new people may be uncomfortable for students, but a great way to make new friends is to be open minded. Adam Ng, a senior digital cinema and filmmaking major says, “be open to anything and take advantage of all the events and resources on campus.” Keeping an open mind when looking at clubs to join helps new students meet people with similar interests. Students do not have to commit to clubs or organizations right away. If the first meeting does not interest them, they do not have to continue as a member. Students can thrive socially by finding the right club or organization for them. Pace has a multitude of organizations for students to join including cultural organizations, fraternity and sorority life, on-campus jobs, among many others. Specific information about clubs can be inquired at the Center for Student Engagement located on the top floor of Kessel Student Center.

Of course, every student at Pace is just that, a student. The academic workload will differ from high school or other previous institutions. As a student, “professors hold you to an extremely high standard and you must be on your A-game with answering emails promptly,” Molly McCabe stated, a senior nursing major. Many students may even find that they perform better when they have a stronger relationship with their professors.

Even if a student finds themselves struggling in a class, students can find “a huge supportive community within [their] specific major…” stated McCabe. In larger, more popular programs, students will find many others experiencing the same hardships. Students in smaller programs can bond with other students in their program through a sense of camaraderie to help them succeed together.

Through succeeding in the classroom and socially, students will need to learn to balance this new lifestyle. Students must be able to perform “house chores” on top of “work, school, friends, extracurricular activities…” as Kaylee Shin, a senior health sciences major states. Shin continued saying that the balance is a challenge, especially while “being broke all at the same time.”

Every student will struggle at first as every college experience is unique. However, students should feel secure knowing that they have a supportive community of upperclassmen willing to guide them through their next 4 years.