Let them know they aren't alone

September 7, 2023

As we reach the end of the third week of classes, our first-year students have (hopefully) figured out the basics of life at Xavier: the best time to eat at the Caf, where the library is located, and how to avoid a parking ticket. 

They are also beginning to encounter the stickier parts of college: roommate tensions may be rising, they may be struggling with classes in a way they never have before, or they might be realizing their major is not quite the right fit.  And that’s before they start asking themselves questions that help them develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula.  It can prove overwhelming and can cause some of our students distress.  

Xavier’s first year experience is designed to help students better manage their transition to college and begin initial conversation about who they are called to be in this world.  All our first-year students are about half-way through Goa (though we may not want to share all the things Goa is known for).  The course meets for six weeks in both fall and spring semesters, and provides students with tools and resources to be successful both in and outside the classroom. See the topics for fall semester.

About half of our incoming students are also taking a First Year Seminar.  This evening, Thur., Sept. 7, these students have an opportunity to participate in Spark, the First-Year Seminar’s call to the greater good.  Spark is a panel discussion about vocation and career.  Members of the Cincinnati community, including one FYS faculty member, discuss the paths they took through college and into their careers.  They consider the surprises along the way, demonstrating that life rarely proceeds in a straight line from college into career, and that the reality is usually much more interesting.  Panelists will discuss whether one’s choice of college major matters, how they deal with failure, and how they see their own lives and careers as contributing to the greater good.   

With the semester really underway, it is a good time to remember that many of our students think their struggles or questions are unique.  They may be concerns that are uniquely theirs, but there are common experiences for these young adults.  As you interact with first-year students you teach or advise, ask them about their first few weeks, and perhaps share a part of your own story of those first few weeks or months of college.  Encourage them to tap into the resources they’ve learned about in Goa.  Let them know they aren’t alone.   

Jen Droege
Assistant Dean