Picture of a student studying - image by Kyle Gregory Devaras, via unsplash.com

 

I recently asked my twin brother, who decided to go straight into the workforce rather than college following high school, what he would most be concerned about if he were to attend MSUB with me. His answer? Failing. Or, to refer to his reasoning, having to pay with the risk of failure. The possibility of failing after having paid for tuition and books and other expenses was one of the factors that deterred him from attending college (as did the fact that he didn’t enjoy school much anyhow). Even though his concerns don’t represent everyone’s, I kept them in mind when compiling what I consider the three most significant pieces of advice I would offer to any new college student, and I hope they prevent you from feeling too overwhelmed during your time here. The college itself, the mostly wonderful professors, and your peers are here to build you up and provide scaffolding in case you need it, which is important for you to keep in mind.

  

Utilize Campus Resources - The university provides a multitude of services that are meant to help you both academically and personally, most of which are free or, at least, low-cost. As far as academics go, there is the Academic Support Center (ASC), which has locations at both the University and City College campuses that provide tutoring services mostly for writing, math, and science. Peer Navigators can also be found at these locations, who are (you guessed it) fellow students who can guide you to other campus resources you may need or help you build skills relating to studying, managing time, or organization. If you want a second set of eyes to look over your essay, need help solving a math equation or understanding the how and why of a chemical reaction, reach out to the ASC!

 

When I was a freshman, I didn’t know the Library offered more services than just checking out books. Need to print some papers? The Library at the University Campus (UC) has a printer on each of the first two floors available for student use, with a single-sided black and white page costing six cents to print. Want to study or take some time for yourself? There are quite a few rooms available for either purpose, all of which can be reserved ahead of time or used if available upon drop-in. The Library also has a number of computers available for use, a room for parents along with a wellness room, a free snack pantry, and (my personal favorite) a free coffee / hot chocolate machine! The Library over at City College (CC), while smaller, also has both printers and computers available for student use.

 

The Native American Achievement Center has a location for each campus; a house located just across Normal Ave near UC, and an office in the Tech Building at CC. This Center is dedicated to creating a network of support for Native American students by organizing a number of cultural events (such as the annual MSUB powwow and celebratory activities for American Indian Heritage Month) and by providing students with assistance relating to academics, financials, or personal empowerment and advancement. For example, the UC location has computers for student use, a family room, a playground and sweatlodge in the backyard, as well as what I consider a rather thoughtful and practical item, which is a laundry room for students. They also have a Financial Aid Navigator who can help answer any questions about aid, the FAFSA, or scholarships.

 

Now, I can keep writing about the numerous services MSUB offers, but even if I tried I would probably miss a few. As it is, I have just scratched the surface, so I encourage you to take a little bit of time to look around yourself and see what is out there. Here is a link to some additional campus resources: https://www.msubillings.edu/trio/campus-community-resources/, though I am working on a master list of them so keep an eye out for that. These resources are here for you to use, and you pay more fees than just your tuition and/or housing for a reason. Ask questions! Utilize them!

  

Stay Organized - I once had a nightmare during which I convinced myself that I had completely forgotten about an online course I was enrolled in at the time, and therefore had not completed any of the assignments or quizzes for that class. Of course, upon waking, I thought about it and realized my fears were all for nothing. This experience, however, made me hyperfocus on assignment deadlines and ensured I would always have enough time to meet the deadlines. I wanted to be able to organize all my responsibilities and assignments in one place, and a physical planner allowed me to do that. For me, writing all the due dates for major assignments down in my planner ahead of time makes it easy to know what I have to do and when I have to do it.

 

The nightmare I had made me think about the things I would forget if I didn’t have my planner. There’s nothing wrong with being late on submitting an assignment, or blanking on it completely – it happens – but it is obviously best to avoid that when possible. I recommend finding a method of organization that works best for you, and it doesn’t have to be a planner. You could use a digital calendar, whatever Note app you have on your phone, or simply use a sheet of paper or a Word/Google Doc. What’s important is it works for you and benefits you in some way. 

 

Save Time for Hobbies and Self - It can be difficult to dedicate time to your own interests and hobbies between school and homework, and it gets even harder to do when things like work and extracurricular activities are taken into account. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve arrived home from both school and work and, instead of relaxing or progressing in my third or fourth replay of Skyrim, have spent entire evenings working on assignments. This isn’t always a bad thing, as it is often necessary, but it starts to become a problem when it occurs each day and takes up all your time. So, I encourage you to try to find time for yourself and either simply relax, enjoy doing whatever hobby you might have, or spend some time with your friends. Even taking a brief five minutes to take a breather can help. It is too easy to get burned out without these activities, and I hope incorporating them into your daily life will be as beneficial to you as it was and is to me.

 

I would like to think that, if my brother had known about the various resources available to college students here at MSUB and the support they offer, he would have been less intimidated by the prospect of failure, and might have come to MSUB with me. But, then again, he wasn’t (and still isn’t) a fan of school, so maybe nothing would have changed. I hope these little pieces of advice help you this semester and future semesters; I believe any college student, both new and returning, can benefit from at least one of them. Welcome to MSUB!

- Mckynzie Finney