ASUI President gives new students advice for new year
I don’t need to tell you that the transition to college can be one of the most exciting and terrifying changes in your life.
You may already feel nerves over finding new friends, studying challenging material and choosing a career. The pressure is on to start figuring out your life.
With this transition comes an onslaught of well meaning advice from all of the parents, mentors and teachers who have helped you make it this far. If I could add one adage to the list, it would be to get involved.
High school, or maybe community college for some, was in large part an exercise in checking the right boxes. Pass the prescribed classes, take the standardized tests and with the right combination of smarts, luck and guidance, you managed to make it to college.
Max Cowan
While I’m not saying that college doesn’t have its share of requirements and tests, it does afford you the ability to get involved actively in your own education. You can choose from more than 150 majors and countless classes to get the education you want. It’s time to start thinking about education differently. You are not just checking boxes, but you’re building the skills and knowledge you’ll use for the rest of your life.
Get involved outside of the classroom. Beyond picking courses that you are excited and engaged in, you can expand your education even more.
Join a club, participate in research or study abroad. Life is more than just sitting at a desk and doing your work, and so should your college experience. Challenge yourself to grow by trying new activities and you might be surprised by how it helps you be an even better student.
Lastly, get involved in the University of Idaho community. As a new Vandal, you are a part of the Associated Students of the University of Idaho (ASUI), the student government here at UI. You will have the chance to elect representatives, share your thoughts and take part in making this community stronger.
Throughout your time here, you will encounter challenges you never saw coming. It may be as big as struggling to pay for school or as small as getting lost trying to find your classroom. With each of these challenges, you have the opportunity to make a difference. Through ASUI you can find a voice. It is through the constant process of sharing problems and finding solutions that we forge a better education.
ASUI is already engaged in making college more affordable, improving the classroom experience and strengthening the campus community. This process takes dedication to service with the knowledge that some problems are greater than any one of us. The thousands of students who came before you shaped the incredible experience that you will have here.
When you set foot on campus, remember that you have the power to make the university a better place for all those who are privileged enough to follow in your footsteps.
Max Cowan is the president of ASUI. He can be reached at [email protected]