This is what WSU is really like: people hanging out with friends and going to class.
Well, school has been rolling for about a month now, so I decided to check in with some first year students for WSU Freshman Myth busters!
After speaking with a few students I found some interesting “myths,” that the year leading up to beginning college, were on the minds of our new students at Winona State. These are the top three topics that came up!
Myth number 1: Lecture classes are large and intimidating.
Classes at Winona State are very manageable. Most of the classes are small but what many students found intimidating were some of the large lecture classes held in classrooms such as the SLC lecture hall.
Although these classes seem large, the material is covered in fun, engaging ways that make the large atmosphere seem much smaller and bearable.
This myth is definitely busted because although lecture hall classes are large, once you settle in after the first couple sessions the student size seems smaller and welcoming. This allows new students to adjust and learn in fun new ways with the help of our incredible professors.
My own experience with large lectures course regards my biology classes with Dr. Borsari. I had a large lecture class with Dr. Borsari and met many great people who have become close friends over the last couple of years, and the material was covered in an exciting, friendly way.
Myth number 2: Winona State classes are limited.
This myth was interesting at first because what does limited mean? Limited in this case means that there is not a large variety of classes to take. This myth was quickly busted when the student who brought this up realized that there are countless classes one can take.
Winona State offers an extremely large variety of classes to help students feel like they can expand their knowledge in practically every way you could imagine. This student I talked to felt that Winona State was centered mostly on nursing and education programs, but quickly discovered that there are many options for early gen eds, as well as many interesting majors and minors that students can decide to pursue.
When I started school here I felt like the only place for me was in the school of business. Well, I’m a psychology major now… talk about taking a new path! I felt the same way when I started, that there were only a couple of routes to take, but because of the variety of course offerings I found something that I find interesting and really enjoy.
Don’t feel like there are only a couple paths, explore and find what you truly enjoy.
Myth number 3: Meeting new people is going to be hard
I don’t think that this myth needs much elaboration. It’s busted! Winona State is filled with incredible people from different backgrounds, states, countries, you name it.
It might be hard to find people who have the same background as you but this also makes it extremely easy and fun to meet new people and start new friendships that are bound to last a lifetime.
When I first came into college I was a fairly shy person, but that quickly changed because of the countless people who are on campus to encourage you, and welcome you into their friend circles.
Meeting people on campus is probably the easiest thing you’ll ever have to do, and once you start to make new friends things like presenting in classes, preparing speeches and getting involved in other ways on campus being a breeze.
All of these topics were obtained by talking to new students at Winona State this fall, and those students provided the general outcome. The worries that a lot of students have coming into their first year are real to each individual, but with a bit of time, and ability to try new things and give things a chance these worries turn into happy realities.
