Fellow students offer friendly advice

Make your mark

Well, hello there. Please accept my big bear hug via these printed words, since I’m unable to do so in person and because it’s a little creepy if we haven’t met yet.

I’m happy to see all the new, smiling faces of the incoming freshmen. Each year the freshmen remind me how to have fun, a reminder I am most grateful for. I love that such bright, talented people are following right behind me, because we will be the ones to shape the world in the years to come.

Don’t worry, upper classmen, I haven’t forgotten about you. I could never forget you. You are my closest friends and my peers. You made this place home for me.

To all UTM students: Let us all live so well that no one can ever forget us. Let us leave such a well-made mark on this campus that a part of our spirit always resides here.

P.S. I’m sorry for all the cheese, but somebody had to do it.

~ Jenifer Nicks

Do new things

Have a “yes attitude” and you will find that anything is possible. Volunteer, participate in student organizations and consider studying abroad. You will be surprised at how many opportunities may arise from participating in those extracurricular activities. Most importantly, take advantage of those opportunities, because they are likely to help you improve the skills needed to land that perfect job.

If you have a goal, don’t be afraid to share it with your friends, advisor and the UTM staff. Get to know the faculty and staff, because they are here to help you in and out of the classroom.

~ Mary Jean Hall

Use all resources

To get the most out of your college experience, take advantage of all the resources that are offered. 

One resource that is plentiful on the UTM campus, but often overlooked, is non-traditional students. Non-traditional students can be a great source of information and advice.

 Most college students will at some point find themselves facing a situation where advice or help from someone older and more experienced than themselves would be beneficial.  Questions may arise that are somewhat embarrassing to talk to your parents about.  A non-traditional student can listen to you and give you guidance impartially.  As a non-traditional student, I can safely say that I don’t have the answer to everything, but I try to steer my friends away from the pitfalls that I fell into and hopefully give sound advice without judgment, enabling them to make the correct decisions for themselves. 

Open your hearts and eyes and recognize that good friends can come in many different shapes, sizes and colors.

~ Sheila Scott

Make new friends

As you begin your college career, you will find that it will start moving very quickly. My advice to you as freshmen is to make friends. I’m not saying you don’t have friends coming to college with you, but this is the time when you will make friends that last a lifetime.

I can honestly say I have made some of my best friends here on this campus. Some of them are students like myself and others are professors. The friends you make here will be with you through thick and thin, trust me. You will need them when you lose your mind during finals week.

~ Kristen Harrelson

Welcome to UTM

Welcome to UTM! I sincerely hope you’ll spend the next four years of your college experience with us. It’s going to be a very fun experience at times, but at other times you are going to wonder why you left the safety of your parents’ house. It gets better, I promise.

After spending the last three years of my life on this campus, I can honestly say that I have a few tips for you that will really help in the long run.

First, do not be afraid to ask questions. Your teachers are there to help you and will usually do anything they can to make sure you succeed. Second, even if you never had to study in high school, you will in college; trust me on that. Lastly, remember this is school and there are going to be times that you have a lot of work. There are also going to be plenty of opportunities to have fun and make new friends, take advantage of those times.

Enjoy your freshman year!

~ Staci Williams

Be organized

In the last three years of being a student at UTM, I have found several ways to make my semesters go a little smoother. The semester is hard enough without the added stress of trying to remember which assignments are due for which class on what day. This may sound elementary, but get a planner. It helps tremendously. Now, you don’t have to have an “official planner” to write down assignments. You could get a cheap notebook and keep track of your assignments there.

Along with a planner, it may be a good idea to keep a monthly calendar in your room where you can see it. I keep mine by the door. I use this to write down tests, papers and big assignments. Anything not due right away goes on this calendar. It helps to me to be able to keep up with how much time I have to break down the assignments into smaller portions, making it easier to manage. Being organized in this way is something I wish I’d known my freshman year at UTM. It has really helped me to stay on top of school over the last couple years.