By Skyler Sales

Despite the ease in which some freshmen have settled into campus life, some are still adjusting to the change from high school to college.
“When the university closed for several days due to the Hurricane Florence forecast, one freshman student asked whether they would have to make up the lost days,” noted one university professor. “I reminded the student that she is no longer in high school.”
Other students admit to still adjusting to their new surroundings.When asked what they worry about most, some freshmen said they are uncertain about fitting into a new place with new faces.
“I was mostly worried about getting use to an unfamiliar place with a million other faces and how I would fit in to the new environment,” said freshman Willie Bright III.

Another first-year student said she found the simple act of stepping foot onto NSU’s campus to be thrilling.
“I was excited to experience the college life like having early classes, living in a dorm and being responsible for all the things I have to do,” said new student Jasmyne Josey.
Josey is among NSU’s estimated 1,110 new freshmen. (The official number of new freshmen will be reported in mid-October, according to university communications.) First-time freshmen last year was recorded at 1,036, according to the NSU Fact Book 2017 on the university’s website.
By now, all of the university’s new freshmen probably look forward to when they’re no longer called “newbie,” “novice” or “recruit.” Yet, as they continue their college journey, such terms will still apply as they continue to encounter new experiences and meet new people.

Indeed, NSU’s division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management website welcomes all new students with a letter that reads, in part:
“As a student at NSU, you will embark on a journey that will be marked by a challenging academic experience enriched by a supportive network of administrators, faculty, staff and peers.
“As a responsible citizen in the Spartan community, we encourage you to become familiar with the information contained within this site and the services offered by the departments in the division,” the letter continues. “It is our hope that each of you actively pursues and are fully immersed into these diverse opportunities. If there is anything we can do to help you succeed during your tenure here, please let us know.”
In addition to university divisions and resources, new students often turn to upperclassmen for advice on making the most of their education.
“As long as you come here with a certain mindset of doing what you came here to do then everything else will fall into place, “said junior Tiffany Preston. “Just make sure you stay focused on graduating on time and leaving here a bigger and better person overall.”