Pitt State helps students get off to a good start

PSU Freshman class 2006

Most experts agree that the first two weeks are very important in determining how well a student adjusts to life on a new campus. It is a time for students to make new friends, become familiar with the campus and the community and generally feel at home in their new surroundings.

At Pittsburg State University, that process actually begins long before students ever arrive and continues throughout the year, according to Heather Eckstein, interim co-director of Admissions and Enrollment Services.

Eckstein said all new freshmen go through Pitt CARES during the summer before the fall term begins. Pitt CARES is a full-day program of advisement, registration and enrollment. It is also a time when entering freshmen meet their advisers, become familiar with the departments and campus buildings, and make their first connections with their future classmates.

When they arrive on campus but before classes begin, new freshmen participate in Gorilla Warm-Up. On that day, the newest members of the Gorilla family hear from the president, learn about Pitt State traditions and participate in a variety of ice-breaker activities that are designed to introduce them to their classmates.

During the first weeks of school, PSU’s Campus Activities Center hosts a variety of fun events to welcome both new and returning students. This year’s Off2PSU events include entertainment such as a comedian and a hypnotist as well as a day of community service. A community fair on the Oval allows area businesses, churches and organizations to introduce themselves to the students and share information about the wide range of services and activities that are available off campus.

The most significant effort the university makes to help new freshmen get off to a good start is the Freshman Experience class, which is required for all new freshmen. That wide-ranging course covers everything from thinking and study skills, problem solving and choosing a career to health, time management, money and diversity. The course is designed to not only teach students some of the things that will help them succeed academically, but to also help them develop strong connections with faculty and fellow students.

Ed Wirthwein, assistant director for student activities, said the university staff and faculty understand the excitement and the anxiety that new freshmen feel.

“We were all freshmen once,” Wirthwein said. “We know how hard it can be to make new friends and feel comfortable in a new place.”

Together, Pitt CARES, Freshman Experience, and a host of welcome activities make it easier for new freshmen to feel right at home at Pitt State. These combined efforts seem to be working well. Naming PSU one of the “Best in the Midwest” for 2007, the Princeton Review recently cited student surveys lauding Pitt State’s friendly atmosphere and campus culture.

“That’s a part of Pittsburg State’s history and tradition that we work very hard to carry on,” Wirthwein said.

---Pitt State--