A Word from the Editor

By Jill Williams

Jill Williams

As a high school junior or senior, you may have questions about your future. What’s next? How am I going to get there?

For some of you, these questions may have easy answers, but others still may be searching for that perfect post-secondary fit. Don’t be scared: it wasn’t an easy transition for me, either.
I graduated from Hauser High School in Hope, Ind., with a class of 83 people. There, everyone knew everyone’s business, and we had all been together since middle school. Some of us had even been together since kindergarten. So, I was leaving a lot behind when I decided to attend Purdue University, and the road ahead seemed a little intimidating.

As a freshman, I had fears that are pretty common when entering a new and unfamiliar academic setting. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to find my classes, that upperclassmen would laugh at me if they caught me looking at a campus map and that I wouldn’t know anyone. I wasn’t in Hope, Ind., anymore.

So, I made a plan. On the day before the semester started, I made my roommate, a sophomore, walk me around to the buildings where all of my classes were. That solved fears of carrying a campus map and getting lost.

Then, I started getting out around campus. During your first week at Purdue, you will be bombarded with messages called call-outs from various student organizations. I went to a few, got involved and made some great friends.

After about a month, I was strutting around campus like I was a senior. I couldn’t walk to my next class without seeing someone I knew, and Purdue Agriculture was beginning to form a special place in my heart.

Now, as a senior, I find myself in a similar predicament to the one I was in four years ago. But this time, I know how to deal with change, and it’s not so scary anymore. Trust me; you’ll be fine. College isn’t as intimidating as it is made out to be, and Purdue Agriculture definitely welcomes its students with open arms.

Good luck! Boiler up!