Sincerely, The Upperclassmen: Meagan Medendorp
Wait… what?!?!I don’t know about you guys, but my first few weeks of college were a whirlwind. Starting college can be a scary and confusing time for freshmen. What seems like too much information is thrown at us all at once and it’s a little overwhelming. Advice from someone who has been here for a year or longer can be comforting and help freshmen get settled in.
Meagan Medendorp is a senior here at Colorado Christian University, a Music Education major in her fifth semester. She is student teaching this semester at Green Mountain High School.
I met up with Meagan to ask for advice for new students. One thing she said is she wished freshmen would not complain about the things that they agreed on when they signed the Lifestyle Covenant and other related documents. People need to pay attention to what they sign. If and when they sign, they need to follow through. We all signed these agreements and we need to be a hundred percent committed.
“Know your rights and how to advocate for them”
I asked Meagan what general advice she had for incoming students. “Know your rights and how to advocate for them,” was her response. You need to take care of your mental and physical health. You can explain that to people. If you need some you time, take it.
When I asked Meagan for tips and tricks for the school year, she said to “have the printer site bookmarked!” When it’s bookmarked, you don’t have to ask for help every time, which will make things go smoother.
In the same vein, Meagan said that knowing how to place a work order will make life easier. If something breaks in your dorm, it can get fixed within a few days.
I asked Meagan about some fun things to do around town. She had a lot of great ideas for people with many different interests.
Do you like dogs? There is an animal shelter called Perfect Pets in Centennial that will let you pet the puppies.
More of a cat person? No problem. A similar place downtown, the Denver Cat Company, may be worth checking out. It is a cafe with cats that just walk around to be loved and petted, plus you can also buy cat supplies.
Not into pets? How about ice cream? Little Man Ice Cream is a landmark and a CCU “must” in your first year. Magill’s World of Ice Cream is closer and famous for their Colorado-made ice cream, with a variety of dairy free options as well.
In a pre-covid world, Meagan said the movie theater would have $5 days, which is great if you are a broke college student.
The last place Meagan gave me was the Heritage Center and park in Belmar. It’s a great place to learn the local history and take fun pictures.
Meagan Medendorp is just one in a series of interviews. There will be more to come- including students from different majors and grades, both male and female, in order to really compile the best advice we can for freshmen and new students.
