Dear Incoming Ball State Freshmen,

I can’t believe I will be a senior this year at Ball State University. The time has truly flown by. I remember starting my freshman year of college thinking that it would be forever until I finished college. Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t as far away as I imagined it. Part of what makes the college experience so amazing is developing genuine friendships and establishing a supportive network of friends. Having a supportive network of friends allows you to develop a home away from home. Although finding good friends took time when I first started college, I've developed friendships over the last few years that have changed my life. My friends have supported me, encouraged me, cried with me, and helped me grow personally.

I am from Indianapolis, and went to a rather large high school. I was very involved at school and ran cross country. I had a lot of friends. I had gone to school in the same school district as my best friend for 13 years. Unfortunately, we weren’t going to the same college. We always dreamed of going to Purdue University together and being roommates throughout college. She ended up going to Indiana University-Bloomington and I decided to follow my heart and go to school at Ball State University.

None of my close friends were going to Ball State. Perhaps you are in that same position. I know how intimidating it is to imagine yourself at a large university with no close friends. The anxiety of having a random roommate, not knowing who you will get lunch with, and not knowing someone in your major is difficult. While I knew a few acquaintances going to Ball State, I was not close enough them to be roommates. I ended up rooming with a girl I met on Ball State’s online roommate finding service. She was super sweet and I highly suggest looking into it if you are still trying to find a roommate. We never fought, and she and I had similar schedules, which worked out perfectly. She came from a small school in Indiana and knew people from her hometown coming to Ball State. Watching my roommate hang out with her friends from home made me miss my friends more than I imagined.

I am a pretty positive, friendly and outgoing person. But, I felt like I was struggling to meet people. All of a sudden I became a shy person scared to talk to anyone. I was scared that everyone at Ball State would dislike who I was as a person or think I was weird. Obviously, that wouldn’t have been the case, but I was so anxious and kept thinking about the worst-case scenarios.

I don’t want you going to college believing that you have to change who you are once your parents leave. You will find friends who hold the same values and similar interests as you. Don’t be afraid to knock on the door across the hall in your dorm to introduce yourself. Don’t even be afraid of trying to lure people into your room by buying candy and leaving a sign on your door saying “Come on in, we have candy!”

If you have your best friends joining you at Ball State, that’s great, but some of us weren’t that fortunate. Make it your goal to introduce yourself to everyone on your dorm floor, or that group of people playing Ping-Pong downstairs in the lobby. When I was in Girl Scouts we used to sing this song, “make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.” You will always have and cherish those friends from high school. Don’t be scared to be yourself when you are meeting new people. Ball State is a diverse school and you will find friends who are just like you.

I highly suggest if you are an incoming student at Ball State University to go to the Activity Fair on August 20, 2016 from 6-8 p.m. I remember going to this with my roommate my freshman year. We were both nervous because we didn’t want to be considered “lame” because we chose to go to the fair. I promise you it isn’t lame. This fair will have more than 300 student organizations there to give you information on how to get involved. Getting involved means getting to meet new people!

Best,

Rachel