• Alumni share words of wisdom for new Baylor freshmen

    New Baylor student and her family

    On Facebook earlier this week, Baylor asked a simple question of the university’s 200,000+ followers:

    “What one piece of advice would you share with #Baylor freshmen on their first day of college?”

    Baylor alumni and others were quick to respond, sharing thousands of words worth of wisdom. Feel free to read through all their advice (and add your own). Here are our favorite tips, in no particular order:

    1. BE OUTGOING. “Prop your door open for the first week or so when you’re just hanging out. You never know who might walk by, hear your music, and introduce themselves!” — Caroline Durham

    2. BE REAL. “Not every moment is going to feel ‘insta-worthy’… Don’t let social media convince you you’re not doing college ‘right’ because you’re not having the time of your life every single second, or living it up at parties. It will all be good in the end, I promise.” — Sydney Smith

    3. GET TO KNOW PROFESSORS. “Don’t be afraid of them… Go to their office if they have office hours — and sit on the front row!!!” — Anita Baker

    4. RECORD MEMORIES. “Make an effort to journal/take pictures/etc. Do your best to document even the little ordinary things — in retrospect, you’ll really be thankful you did!” — Alexander Hale

    5. TRY NEW THINGS. “Any time you think about going to a campus event or trying a club meeting, just go for it. You’re in an ideal place to experiment, make new friends, and learn about yourself.” — Meagan Smith

    6. ASK FOR HELP. “Seek assistance when needed and push pride aside. Chances are your friends are seeking the same assistance.” — Marie Brown

    7. PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS. “Read your schedule very carefully, so that you don’t miss your first bio lecture (and college class) of the year. I’m definitely not speaking from experience…” — Liz Mallory

    8. BE THRIFTY. “Keep your expenses low… Live in the cheaper dorm. Drive your older car a few more years. Take a Dave Ramsey course. Work during college. Your bank account will thank you for it for years to come.” — Shannon Lamb

    9. CHECK YOUR EMAIL. “Read every email you get. You never know when there might be free food or an incredible opportunity. Don’t miss out because you didn’t read an email!!” — Bailey VanNatta

    10. DON’T WORRY ABOUT GPA. “Enroll in classes you aren’t sure you’ll do well in. Take risks. You’ll get a better education that way, and also stronger recommendations.” — Robin Wallace

    11. REMEMBER MOM. “Call your Mom every week. She’s worried about you.” — Eugenie Anderson

    12. PICK A CHURCH. “If you are church shopping, visit 3-4 and decide from there. Otherwise you will be in church limbo forever!” — Elizabeth Wickersham Ginn

    13. DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. “Consider yourself blessed! Millions of youth all over the globe would give everything they have to be in your shoes. Make the most of your opportunity!” — Kent Shirley

    Sic ’em, Baylor Class of 2022!