Opinion

Byrd’s Eye View

Resources for new students available

Kristy Byrd
Feature Editor
kebyrd@niacc.edu

I’d like to think that all college students have the same mentality that I did upon entering college my freshman year.

I came to NIACC with high hopes for myself. I wanted to do my best and I knew what I wanted to get out of my college career.

Many students aren’t so fortunate. Some students have no idea what to expect and believe that college is all fun and games. This isn’t high school. Students are out of their parents’ clutches and as adults they can make their own decisions.

In reality, college can be one big party if a student wants it to be -- a big party filled with D’s and F’s with no room for a future. Throwing dreams and money out the window doesn’t seem like fun to me.

Thankfully, there are many resources on campus to help a college freshman get on the right track and avoid pitfalls.

A good place to start is the NIACC Counseling/Advising Center. They have multiple counseling services available free of charge for NIACC students.

Services include personal counseling, career counseling, academic and transfer advising, student support services, disability services, vocational rehabilitation services, cooperative education services and professional counselors to help students deal with drug or alcohol related problems. Counselors are available Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with or without an appointment.

The Student Learning Center, located in the Beem Center, right next to the Writer’s Work Bench Lab or across from the library, is another source that a student should utilize.

There are instructors that can help students in every area of study and it’s free. What’s better than that?

So what should a freshman think about this fall semester? First of all, he or she should think about the big picture, take steps to reach the ultimate goal - graduation - and make the most out of his or her college experience.

Join a club, take an internship, study, do a lot of reading and don’t be afraid to ask for help.