For Carleton newbies: A few things to note
- Nikki Reich
- Sep 27, 2011
For Carleton newbies: A few things to note
Hello there new Carls! Nikki (Reich) Shenk, class of ’10, here. Welcome to the wonderful Carleton world of ideas, possibilities and great people.
And a hearty welcome to the Fellowship in Christ community! (I'm the one in the blue shirt on the far left.)
I’m writing to you on behalf of SOul ZOne Ministries, an independent campus ministry that connects with Fellowship in Christ (FC), a loose network of Christian student groups at Carleton. To find out more about the FC community (orgs.carleton.edu/fellowshipinchrist) or SOul ZOne (soulzoneministries.org) check out our websites.
Although we sure don’t know it all, we thought the class of ’15 might enjoy hearing some brief observations we’ve compiled after 10 years of greeting the new Carleton class each fall.
Balance. With 182 student organizations, there’s more than enough to get involved in on campus. In the FC alone, you can easily find yourself over-committed. We hope you will take time for self-inventory, decide what’s most important to you, and only commit to a group or two at a time. You can change up your activities each year to join new things or drop in occasionally on groups you’d love to try.
Friendships will grow … with time. It takes time to build friendships, to gain a sense of belonging, to adjust to change. We’ve observed that it takes students at least until spring and often into sophomore year for those things balance out. So give it some time and don’t be afraid to ask a new acquaintance to lunch.
Get to know your profs. The time you take to connect with your profs is time well spent. Whether you talk about the class or about life, they’re great people. When you get to discussing matters of ultimate concern with them, don’t forget to practice that quintessential Carleton value—question everything. (Yes, even your profs!)
Others are in the same boat. You may feel you don’t understand anything your prof says, or you feel like you don’t have any friends or you seem to be the only one who believes in Jesus. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Although it may take time to believe this is really true, there are others who feel the same way.
If you need help, ask for it. In our experience, it takes well into junior year, maybe even senior year, for students to admit they need help with something. We see this as a sign of maturity, that you know you can’t go it alone. For some of them, it’s one of the most important things they learn at Carleton. Whether it’s help with an assignment, crippling stress or a spiritual crisis, don’t be afraid to ask.
Your body is important too. Eat right, sleep right, take showers. If going to the rec just isn’t working, join an IM team or give social dance a try. If the all-nighter is inevitable, plan a break after it. If it’s been a crazy term, then don’t plan a crazy break but use that time to recoup.
Hold on to that mustard seed. College is not the time to shut down to the world of ideas and big questions. Exploring what your parents taught you to believe is part of forming your own identity. Simply put, it’s part of growing up. As you are reevaluating what you believe, also remember to doubt your doubts and feed your faith. Maintain your spiritual disciplines, get involved in a church, have lunch with a friend whose faith you admire. Four years from now you will find out that you have not only spiritually survived at Carleton, but your faith in Christ has strengthend and matured.