New students and the new semester nerves

As a new semester at Oklahoma Christian University started with fresh faces pouring onto campus, the new students brought with them an abundance of excitement, nerves and hopes about embarking on their first college experience.

“I am most excited about all of the opportunities to grow as a person through all the classes and spiritually and socially,” freshman Becca Bingham, a biology student, said.

Freshman Addyson Weast said she looks forward for her time at Oklahoma Christian.

“[I am excited about] just trying to figure out my future because I really don’t know what that is right now,” Weast said. “I know that’s probably going to be great and OC is where I want to figure out my future.”

Other students believe the social aspect of college is the most compelling portion of their time at Oklahoma Christian.

“[I am most excited] that I get to know a lot more people,” freshman Ryan Jackson, a marketing student, said.

Although transfer students have gone through their freshmen year already, most hold similar feelings as the freshmen class.  Mikkaela Randall, a vocational ministry student, said she’s looking forward to the social aspects of Oklahoma Christian.

“I’m really excited to start meeting people and start diving into that college experience,” Randall said. “The first week is always a little awkward because no one really knows each other, but I am excited to get to know people and start learning again.”

Randall transferred from a community college in California and then had a gap year before coming to Oklahoma Christian.

Though reasons for excitement differ, new students agree the most impending cloud ahead of them are classes.

“[I am most nervous about] classes because it’s going to be a lot harder than high school,” Jackson said.

Bingham said she agrees, but more than the possibility of failing classes, Bingham said she is nervous about failing in other aspects of college.

“[I am most nervous about] not succeeding in classes or in kind of putting myself out there and really developing a good community, getting lost in the crowd,” Bingham said.

Having been homeschooled all her life, Weast said classes are making her uneasy.

“[I am most nervous about] classes. I’ve been homeschooled and I’ve never been in real classes and so I’m nervous about professors… and grades,” Weast said.

Randall said she agrees with the freshmen: classes are something to be anxious about.

“[I am most nervous about] my classes, just because it is college and it is a little more difficult,” Randall said. “I’m a pretty good student… but classes are probably always the most nerve-wracking.”

Despite all the nerves and excitement that goes into the first year of college, each has something bigger they hope to accomplish during their time at Oklahoma Christian.

“I would like to make solid friendships that bring me closer to God and they also don’t prohibit me from growing as a person in my relationship with Christ, but spur me on,” Bingham said.

Weast’s hopes align with Bingham’s. She said she hopes to grow closer to God as well.

“I hope to get a deeper feeling for who I am and to grow closer to God and meet some really good friends and grow closer to them through Christ. And I think I just hope that whatever I accomplish here will go toward glorifying God because that’s really what I want to do with my life,” Weast said.

Looking back at his time at Oklahoma Christian, alumnus Sam Ormerod gave the new students words of encouragement and advice.

“College is a great time in your life,” Ormerod said. “Make memories with new people and never turn down an adventure.”