With great power comes great responsibility. These words, immortalized to our generation by Spider-man’s uncle, come alive during the college era of everyone’s life. College is a time of growing up, learning about yourself, and becoming who you were meant to be. College is one of the few times in life where you have nearly unimaginable freedom coupled with heavy amounts of responsibility.

Taking care of what you need taken care of is completely up to you in college. You’ve moved out of your parents’ house and into a residence hall with hundreds of other student that are experiencing nearly the exact same thing you are.  These fellow students, while some may become your best friends, will not help you manage everything that goes on in your life like your mom or dad did in high school. It is your duty to show up to meetings, classes, and get your homework and assignments done.  I learned this lesson the hard way and very quickly.  At the very beginning of my freshman year I had a meeting that I was required to attend for one of my major scholarships I had received. I didn’t show up.  Not only did I not show up, I didn’t even give a reason why I didn’t show up. This put my scholarship in jeopardy and my future at OU on the line.  After multiple apologies and a couple extra meetings, everything turned out okay, but it was still a major fright nonetheless.  Getting organized and being responsible are lessons that I have learned and have truly helped me along the way.

While all of this responsibility may seem rather daunting, it can totally be handled, and totally worth it when it comes to the freedom college students have. 2am trips to Whataburger for the famed Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, midnight movie parties, and spontaneous weekend trips have become staples in my routine in college. There are few things more enjoyable to me than spending time with friends and having fun. These experiences with new students you meet help build bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime.  The freedom that comes with college is undeniably incredible.

College is a time in your life that will be like no other. The students at OU are open, accepting, encouraging, and have become my family. The opportunities at OU are second to none and truly make for an unforgettable time.  Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, live life, and take responsibility for everything that will be asked of you.  Don’t be afraid to grow, for you will love the person you come to be.

Andy Stewart

Letters ’16

Duncan, OK

Hello friends!

I don’t know about you guys, but I cannot believe that it is already October. Seems like yesterday I was walking around campus for my first day of college and now I am in my third semester. Time really does fly in college, which is why I will be giving you guys tips on how to be efficient with your school work while having the most fun you will probably ever have in your life.

Let’s start with something we are probably encountering within the next couple weeks: midterms. We all loathe them and worry about them because we don’t really know what to expect, especially as freshmen. But have no fear…you will make it through. My advice when it comes to any major exam is simple: start studying AT LEAST a week before. This piece of advice seems easy, but I promise you it’s not. I cannot even tell you how many times I would make other plans instead of studying because I thought I could afford to spend my time doing more fun things. When it comes close to test time, I highly encourage putting a timeout on some of your extracurriculars to study. You will be thankful in the long run, because you are here to get a degree, right?

Notice that I said put a timeout on SOME extracurriculars. You have to have fun. There is nothing worse than being stressed out and having no fun. Study for an hour, grab a friend to go get a Sprittle at Classics for a study break. Study and then go take a break and relieve some stress at the Huff. Do not torture yourself and study for 35185 hours straight. 1) That will ruin you in the long run because your brain cannot function that long. 2) Who wants to study that long in one sitting anyway? TAKE BREAKS.

Join a club, make your own club, meet new people, or just do the things you wish you always could. College is the time to branch out. Because what better time to step out of your comfort zone and do something you have only dreamed of than here at the University of Oklahoma?

Boomer Sooner!

Katherine Williams
Decatur, TX
Class of 2015
Human Relations

If you are not familiar with the skill of time management, learn ASAP! Here at OU, there’s so much for you to do almost all the time. This doesn’t mean that you’re just bombarded with homework 24/7, but more like this huge combination of school, organizations, friends, and (hopefully) sleep. It’s really not like high school when you have a lot to do from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then something after school; instead, you always have something to do. That being said, this is NOT a bad thing at all! I love always having things to do and people to see! 🙂 However, if you don’t know how to use your time most efficiently, it can get extremely overwhelming.

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I’m pretty sure back in high school almost everybody always crammed the night before a test or exam. This is definitely not wise to do in college — take time to study. Cramming can lead to unsuccessful grades, so study hard and study right. Cramming is a no no!

Hey guys! I got a little ahead of myself in the last blog and jumped straight into an excited account of my English class without even introducing myself. Anyone who read that probably thinks I’m a nerd now (hint: It’s okay, because you’re right.) My name is Parisa and I am a freshman here at this wonderful university. I like crafts, dancing, traveling, running, quality time with loved ones, baking cakes, making to-do lists, and reading, I’m currently a declared English major, but I’m about to change my major to International Studies with a focus in the Middle East, and I’ve even thought about minoring in Arabic. Or I might change it to Human Relations. (Edit: Actually, as of today, I think I’m going with Sociology.) Honestly, I have no idea what I want to be “when I grow up,” and your advisers at OU will assure you that indecisiveness is perfectly okay. Luckily, at OU there are over 150 majors to choose from, so I have quite the selection to go through until I find the ‘right one’! Read more

Alright, so as of a few days ago, I’ve officially been here at OU for over a month. And although it has been extremely hectic and stressful at times, it’s definitely been worth it. I’ve probably learned more in this past month than I did my entire freshman year in high school. So I’m here to offer a bit of advice: just a few things that I wish someone would have told me when I started college. Because after all, college is a huge transition, and we can all use help in the beginning.

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Transitioning into college has definitely been a tough thing. I can still remember my senior year in high school and stressing out over college, how my classes were going to be, and exactly what life would be like. Now that I am here, I am hoping I can share some ways to make transitioning into college a little easier for you. I will begin by telling you something you have probably heard many times before: college is all about managing time wisely. You have one hour of a class and a lot of free time that you may or may not know what to do with. Getting used to dorm life, classes, and dealing with free time can become overwhelming. Here are just a few things to keep in mind: Read more

Well, it is officially my senior year. I am not sure if I have come to believe that to be true though. I am currently on my porch writing, doing homework, and listening to some of my favorite music in shorts and a sweatshirt, which is my all time favorite outfit. The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week so I have been staying outside as much as possible.

Not only do I get to wear my favorite outfit, but I have been drinking my favorite drink…pumpkin spice latte (for all you Starbucks lovers you know my excitement). But what is even more exciting than all of those things is the fact that it is 45 days until HOMECOMING.

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Is it really April 2…already?! I feel like it was the first day of school last month, OU/TX a few weeks ago, Christmas break a few weeks ago and our crazy snow days extravaganza yesterday!

This semester has been insane. It’s had its ups and downs and my classes have been pretty tough. I’ve been busy running from this thing to that thing and being here for this meeting and there for that interview…and everything that falls in between. But I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything.

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While Fall is by far my favorite time of the year, it also happens to be one the busiest times! I am fortunate enough to be highly involved in every organization that I am passionate about, but this means that sometimes I get overwhelmed.

First, some advice for college is getting used to using a planner.  I have to have my planner with me at all times; if I don’t then I have no idea what needs to be done for that day and what commitments I have.  So BUY A PLANNER NOW so you get used to keeping up with one.

Now, like I said I love this time of year, but I am now experiencing the feeling of the end of the semester.  When you come to college you will understand this feeling, trust me.  This feeling makes me want to shut down and not do anything but watch the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family, but I can’t do that.  Today, there is a football game, but I am skipping the last football game to catch up on life 🙁 . This past Friday I got to attend some very cool workshops facilitated by JC Penny Leadership Program–this is a program through Price College of Business.  Basically, it acts as the liaison between classes and the corporate world. At any rate, I got to go to a workshop on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Franklin Covey, a Wall Street 101 presentation, and a Time Warner Media Presentation.  While these did take up my entire day, they were interesting and helped me to grow as a leader.  So my Friday was a workshop day; therefore, I get to spend my Saturday working on homework, Boomer Blogs, and preparing for some big interviews on Sunday.

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