Planning and Panicking: First Year students reflect on life

Eight weeks into college, Carroll freshmen say the biggest adjustment hasn’t been the coursework; rather, it’s been running their own schedules.

“In high school, someone told you where to be every minute,” said Oliver Mills, a freshman business management major from Guernsey, England. “Here I have a 9 a.m. class and then nothing until 2 p.m., and it’s on me to use that time.”

Mills said he now spends the gap between classes studying in the library instead of napping in his room or playing FC 27. The first round of exams in September changed his habits.

“I thought I knew the material, but college tests are a whole different thing,” Mills said.

Making friends came faster than many expected. Phileas Geier, a freshman international business major from Berlin, said he arrived in Helena knowing no one.

“My roommate and I met on move-in day, and now we eat almost every meal together,” Geier said. “Our whole floor in Guad keeps its doors open at night.”

Geier said orientation events in August helped him meet people outside his hall.

For athletes, the schedule leaves little room. Kyle Cupic, a freshman business management and marketing major from Seattle, plays on the Fighting Saints soccer team. Practice runs until 7 p.m. most days, and road trips can mean missing Friday classes.

“I get back, eat, shower, and start homework around 7:30,” Cupic said. “The first month was rough, but I learned to get ahead on weekends and email my professors before every away game.”

Some freshmen have already found a favorite class. Dayton Lewis, a freshman nursing major from Arlington, Washington, pointed to Alan Hansen, a communications professor who has taught at Carroll since 2008.

“He knows every student’s name,” Lewis said. “You can tell he actually cares whether you get it.”

Lewis said small class sizes make the difference. His anatomy class has about 20 students.

Looking ahead, freshmen said they want to get more involved. Luc Schmidt, a freshman health sciences major from Portland, Oregon, plans to join Rock Climbing Club next semester.

“I spent the first few weeks just trying to figure out where my classes were,” Schmidt said. “Now that I know how things work, I want to try more.”

Schmidt also had advice for next year’s freshmen.

“Don’t wait until you’re behind to ask for help,” Schmidt said. “Professors here will meet with you if you just show up to office hours.”

With midterms behind them, freshmen said they feel more settled heading into the second half of the semester.