Sincerely, the Upperclassmen: Emily Lin
Wait… what?!?! I don’t know about you guys, but my first few weeks of college were a whirlwind. What seems like too much information was thrown at us all at once, and it’s a little overwhelming. Starting college can be a scary and confusing time for freshmen. Advice from someone who has been here for a year or longer can be comforting and help freshmen to get settled in.
Emily Lin is a sophomore here at CCU. She is a nursing major and a Resident Assistant for the Highlands stairwell of Freshman Row. I sat down with Emily to get some advice for new students.
One thing she said is that she wished the freshmen would take care of their health. She said that when people get overwhelmed, their health is the first thing they neglect.
“How you are physically effects how you are mentally and spiritually.” She quoted Scripture, saying that our bodies are temples and that we need to be good stewards of what God has given us. So, remember to eat and remember to breathe.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19
Another piece of advice she gave was to set boundaries. To learn to say “no.” Freshmen want to get the whole experience and often take on too much. This tends to make them overwhelmed and then they get burned out. She said that even setting boundaries in relationships can keep you from being overcome with stress. Lin went on to say that “community is a blessing, not an obligation.” If you set expectations in your friendships, then both parties understand when the other needs time or space.
When I asked Emily about tips and tricks she has learned, she told me that at the Cougar Den, “chips and guac count as a meal swipe.” She said sometimes, when you get out of class late, this can be a lifesaver. She also mentioned that the Prayer Chapel is a great place to go and just breathe. There is a prayer board where you can write your prayer requests and Bibles that you can read while you are there.
Our last topic was discussing time outside of the required activities. She said that her favorite thing was to spend time with her roommates, watching TV or doing puzzles, but if you are more of an outdoorsy person, you can rent equipment from Yetter and go hiking or camping. She also said that there are usually “free stuff” days around Denver. For example, free admittance to the Zoo. She also mentioned that in the winter, the Belmar Mall has an ice rink that can be a fun place to go with friends.
Emily Lin was just the first in a series of interviews. There will be people of different majors, grades and genders in order to really compile the best advice we can for freshmen and new students.
