What I Wish I Knew My First Year

By Kiara Marie Young

MY FRESHMAN year at the Mount is slowly coming to an end, and it still feels unreal how fast everything has moved.

When I first got here, I had no idea what to expect or how much I would grow in just a few months. Looking back, there are a few things I wish someone had told me before I started. These are the three biggest lessons I learned, and I hope they help the next group of freshmen.

Join a club

The first thing I learned is how important it is to join a club or student organization. Getting

involved changes everything. When I joined SGA, I met so many driven and inspiring people

who pushed me to grow and helped me find my place on campus.

Being part of something bigger than myself made the Mount feel like home. If you want to feel connected, joining a club is the best place to start.

Stay on campus

The second thing I wish I knew is to never go home too often. When you go home, you get

comfortable fast. Your real bed, your old routines, your family, it all makes it harder to come back and settle into campus life. Staying at the Mount on weekends forces you to explore and meet people.

I’ve met so many students just by walking around campus or going to the café on a

Saturday. Those random moments turned into real friendships. Your dorm won’t feel like your

space unless you give yourself the chance to build a life here.

The library is your friend

The last thing I learned is that the first floor of the library is the place to lock in. When you have a test coming up or a paper due, that quiet space becomes your best friend. It’s calm, focused, and perfect for getting your mind right. I’ve spent hours there getting myself together before big exams, and it made a huge difference in how prepared I felt.

Freshman year teaches you a lot, and most of it you learn by living through it. These three

things shaped my experience more than anything else. As I prepare to finish my first year, I’m

grateful for everything I've learned and excited for what’s next.