Daniel Himelfarb, class of 2026, is an elementary/middle school education major, with a special education minor. His advice for incoming freshmen at UNE would be to make sure to attend class for as many classes as you can. When you are absent once it becomes easier to be absent twice, and so on, three becomes 5 and then 5 becomes half the semester. Your fears about what you missed during that first class you missed cannot compare to what you will miss if you create a pattern of missing class. Join clubs, get out of your comfort zone. If that means going to one or two club meetings and deciding that club is not for you, then you can always stop going. Do your classwork on time, some professors will be generous and let you turn in their classwork halfway through the semester and some will not accept it after a class period. Create a routine for turning in your homework/classwork on time. On the same note, do your part in group work, don’t wait till the last minute to do your part because it will show when you are presenting your work. Ask your professors questions, as that’s what they’re there for. If you struggle with eating in the dining hall, you can always go in between meal times where there are very few people and it’s quiet. If you create a persona of who you want people to think you are it will only hurt you, be yourself and chances are you will find your people, becoming someone other than yourself to impress others will only hurt you and the relationships you formed.
Eva Laffin, class of 2026, environmental studies major, says to not be afraid to use tutoring services. Even if you’re not struggling at that point in any of your classes, it can still be a big help. It’s easier to stay ahead than falling behind all the time. Something that helped me a lot was writing all my assignments in my planner at the beginning of the semester. What’s good about the syllabus is that it usually lists all the assignments for the whole course. I know it can be tempting, but avoid skipping classes. Breaking the cycle is not easy, and catching up on all that work sucks. Don’t hesitate to email your professor or attend their office hours, even if you think it’s a dumb question! Someone else probably has the same question. It’s okay to drop a class if you’re overwhelmed, you have three more years to retake it and it likely won’t affect your long term schedule. You should also join a club, it’s great to make friends with common interests especially if UNE is far from home. There are tons of different clubs you can join, and there’s that club fair on the common lawn in the beginning of the year.
