Think of that feeling in your stomach when walking into a room full of people you do not know. That is a feeling most freshman and transfer students know all too well during their first days on a new campus. Grand View takes action to make the transition easier.
For starters, most GVU students are athletes, so their transition can be a little easier because they get to know their teammates before classes start. GVU also hosts a Welcome Weekend, the weekend before classes start every semester to give new students time to adapt to life on campus.
“Especially with Welcome Weekend where all the freshman class was there, we were all in the same position. Like we all just want to be successful and make new friends and stuff. I think after I changed my mindset like that, it changed the whole rest of my college experience,” Freshman Leah Biensen said.
Welcome Weekend is a time for all new students to get used to campus life, get moved in and comfortable in their dorms and get to know other freshman and transfer students. This weekend is a huge confidence boost for new students because it gives them time to get to know campus and get into their routines for the semester. Welcome Weekend is also a great time to get to know their roommates, RA’s and other students on their floors and start building friendships.
Biensen is also a member of the GVU Dance Team; she got to meet the team before committing to GVU, and she felt right at home.
“I always compare it to a little sorority house. It’s like we’re all just a family and our own little close-knit group. I know I can always rely on any of them,” Biensen said.
Being on a team or in a group in college is an amazing way to get to know people and grow your circle. Being a freshman comes with challenges, but transferring can feel similarly nerve-wracking. Whether you transfer in the fall or spring, it can feel like somewhat of a disadvantage because people have been making friends for some time before you got there.
Transfer student Adriano Roma Ripol’s situation was different.
“I started at Simpson College, which is down the road my freshman year. Then this fall I came back to Simpson after the summer, but after two weeks I decided that it was not what I wanted anymore,” Rome Ripol said.
Roma Ripol is a member of the Men’s Volleyball Team here at GVU, and this team is the reason he chose to come to GVU. After two weeks of the fall semester Roma Ripol chose to transfer to GVU and join the volleyball team. Transferring during the semester meant playing a lot of catch up, but for him it was worth it.
With Roma Ripol’s choice to transfer, he had to say goodbye to his Simpson friends and teammates and throw himself into GVU. Roma Ripol knew he did not want to go somewhere very far from Simpson, but he knew he needed to make this change for himself. Luckly for him, Simpson it truly just up the road for GVU, so his friends are not out of reach.
When choosing somewhere to go to college there are a lot of things to consider, a major, any sport you want to play and the feeling on campus. Picking somewhere that checks all of your boxes is important and challenging. GVU does an excellent job of helping balance some of that stress.
Making friends in college can be challenging especially when none of your friends from high school pick the same school as you. There will be a lot of time spent meeting new people and building new friendships during welcome week or the first week on a team. Remember to give grace and trust yourself. Be confident in who you are, and good friends will come.
