New classes, new people and a new environment can be a lot for any new student coming to West Texas A&M University. Luckily, with years of experience comes knowledge, and a few WT students shared tips and advice to survive college life.

Kara Ramirez, a senior biology pre-veterinary major, explained how to get involved in student organizations.

“Go to an Org Day,” Ramirez said. “Go to those. They’ll have, usually a lot of the organizers; organizations will have tables and booths, and information. Also, go to your professors, see if they want to start anything up, or if they’re willing to be like a sponsor or anything, and usually they are more than happy to.”

Alexa Rojas, a senior sports and exercise major, manages her time by using the calendar feature in WTClass.

“I like to follow the little schedule thing on the WTClass,” Rojas said. “I kind of like to base it off of that and also like timers and stuff on my own calendar on my phone. Makes it easier for myself.”

Stephanie Espinoza, a senior English major with a minor in Mexican-American Latino Studies, advises new students to connect with classmates and the people in their department.

“Try to make friends.” Espinoza said. “Not just with, like, the people around you, but also within your department. So that when you need to study, just to talk about class, or just to have somebody to be with that’s going to go through the same experiences. It’s good to build that kind of like almost a tribe, but to have that group around you that support.”

Nayeli Galvan, a senior double majoring in biochemistry and biology with a pre-medical emphasis, says it is okay to make mistakes.

“Honestly, I would say that your classes aren’t everything,” Galvan said. “You’re gonna mess up. And whenever I first came to college, I was scared to mess up in my classes. I was always a straight-A student. School isn’t everything; you have connections, you have friends. Value other things the same as you value school.”

College life can be intimidating. Yet, new students can start strong by getting involved, making connections, staying organized and prioritizing what matters. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, seek guidance, and explore the opportunities college life has to offer.