Opinion

Starting College Blindfolded: What Kansas Wesleyan Students Wish They Knew Before Freshman Year

Written by Magen Dow on September 18, 2025

Real Advice from KWU Students on Surviving Freshman Year

The transition from high school to college can sometimes be quite difficult. Often, there is a significant change involved in moving away from home, possibly to another state, and being farther away from family and friends. In my experience coming to Kansas Wesleyan University, it was certainly a big adjustment being far away from my family in a state where I had no friends or loved ones coming into college. In a sense, I was going in blind, and I was terrified.

Luckily, it all worked out for the best, and I’ve met some of the best people and made lifelong memories that I will cherish forever. There are some things I do wish I had known before entering my freshman year of college. I interviewed a few students here at Kansas Wesleyan University and got their advice that they wish they had known before their freshman year of college.

I asked three people, two juniors and one who is in the master’s program here at Kansas Wesleyan, and here is what they said.

Study Smarter, Not Harder

Junior Emily Stamper, who is a student athlete on the KWU women’s golf team, said she wished that,

“I wish I knew good study habits that helped me.”

Eating on Campus

Sarah Krenowicz is now a graduate assistant for the KWU women’s golf team, but before she was a student at Kansas Wesleyan. She said,

“I wish I knew how to eat better with fewer dining options than I had back home.”

Junior Hailey Summers recalled her freshman year and said,

“I wish I knew that it was okay to feel confused or lost at times. No one at our age has everything 100% figured out, and that is okay. Being around my friends has made me realize we are all at the same point in our lives, trying to figure out who we want to be. It is okay to be lost at times as you keep going!”

It’s Okay to Be Lost

To put it plain and simple, college is hard. Lots of us wish we had known stuff we didn’t know before our freshman year, and that is okay. Hopefully, these KWU students who gave their opinion on what they wish they had known before college can help future college freshmen be successful not only in college but also in the rest of their lives.

For other ideas on how to survive freshman year of college, visit the links below.

https://college.harvard.edu/student-life/student-stories/10-things-i-wish-i-knew-college

https://admissions.usf.edu/blog/10-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-college

https://grownandflown.com/student-wishes-she-had-known-before-freshman-year-college/

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