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Laura Teegarden

Daily Egyptian


James Mitchell is not sure why he got kicked out of the Student Recreation Center pool.

Maybe his underwear-only attire or his refusal to remove his socks brought about the ejection and $500 fine.

The freshman from Chicago studying cinema-photography said the occurrence is one he likely won't live down.

Mitchell and the rest of the Freshmen Five said the experiences, both good and bad, they had in their first year at SIUC helped them adjust to the college life.

Tressica Lytle, an undecided freshman from Centralia, dealt with Financial Aid problems as Michael Walls, a freshman from Chicago studying accounting, struggled to balance schoolwork and a social life.

Through it all, the freshmen persevered and vowed to return next fall.

So what made these freshmen so willing to stay in comparison to the one-third of freshmen who, according to statistics, leave SIUC by the end of their first year?

Only one of the freshmen attributed a smooth transition to programs offered by the University.

Mary Hettel, a freshman from Marseilles studying social work, said her freshman year success was because of the staff at Disability Support Services and the University's accommodations for disabled people.

"Thanks to TAs and SIU staff for everything that they have done to allow me and other disabled people to be able to have a college experience here," Hettel said

Chris Hahn, a freshman from Olney studying radio-television, said one University program did little for him. He sought help at the Writing Center to shape up his papers, but each time he tried, no one was available.

The Freshmen Five overall attributed their freshman year success to new friends, mostly from the residence halls.

"I didn't expect to hang out so much with my roommate," Mitchell said.

Hahn agreed. He said the best experience this year was living on the 13th floor of Mae Smith because of all the people he met, even though he didn't expect to get along with so many of them. His advice for incoming freshmen is to form friendships with neighbors in the residence halls.

"Be nice to everybody, even if they are different from you," Hahn said.

Aside from the social network derived from the residence halls, the Freshmen Five didn't have much else to say about University Housing, except for the food.

Chicken fingers got thumbs up while the freshman held contempt for the macaroni and cheese.

Hahn said he felt restricted by regulations in the residence halls. He complained specifically about quiet hours.

"I couldn't play guitar in my room," Hahn said.

Hettel didn't have complaints about dorm life, though she agreed there were downsides to being a freshman. She said she looks forward to next year because she won't be a newcomer and will have more campus experience.

Mitchell said his year was different from the others as a 21-year-old freshman.

"I didn't really get the freshman experience," Mitchell said. "I lived with the upperclassmen and hung out with the upperclassmen. I didn't really know too many freshmen."

Hahn said he wished he would have known how much free time he would have as a freshman before he came to SIUC. He expected to be constantly studying. If he had known that wasn't the case, he said he would have been more willing to join student groups.

As for advice for incoming freshmen, Mitchell said the most important and easiest thing to make the freshman experience effortless is simply to go to class.

Hettel said she was surprised in her English class when students had a writing test the first day of school. She said at that point she realized things would be different at SIUC compared to high school.

She said through her year at SIUC she found independence and inner strength.

"Don't give up no matter what you encounter," Hettel said. "If I can do it, you can do it."