Freshman Experience: 1st Semester

Dec. 5, 2012; Pullman, WA, USA; A group of Washington State Cougars students cheer during a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first half at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Wow, what a great time I have had so far in my Freshman year at Washington State University. I apologize for not getting more Freshman experiences out like I planned to do, but that’s what happens when your a college student. To make up for the lack of Freshman Experiences, this article features my 1st semester at WSU.

Making the transformation from the city to living in a place where there is literally “nothing” but farming and land was difficult to adjust to, but with so much happening on campus everyday makes Pullman a special place. I had no idea what I was getting into when going to Washington State University and did not know how I was going to fit in with so many students in my class. The entire 2012 Freshman Class was around 4,000 people!

One of the best decisions I ever made was choosing Stimson Hall as my dorm because of the tradition, and brotherhood aspect it contains. Being an all-guys hall, and with all of the opportunities to get students involved makes it feel like you are living in a Fraternity. The people I have met, I can honestly call them my “brothers” and I haven’t even finished my Freshman year at Washington State University. I can’t share all the events that the hall puts on, but Stimson Hall hosts dances, involved in government, intramural sports, and plenty more. This hall does a great job of helping incoming Freshmen like myself get involved and fit into such a populated university.

Speaking of a Fraternity, in August I went through Fall Recruitment and was close to joining a chapter  named “Sigma Pi”, but just felt like it wasn’t the right house for me. Plus I still wanted to get adjusted to the college lifestyle. After finishing one semester at WSU, and with a lighter workload, I plan to join a fraternity this upcoming semester.

Now that most of the social aspect of college has been covered so far, it’s time to give you a recap of what going to school is like in college. Let me just say that school work in college is nothing like high school. In college it’s more lectures and readings, rather than actual work for homework every single night. It can be good but bad at the same time because if you don’t do the readings you will not end up doing well on the tests. My first semester at WSU I took a total of 18 credits which is a very strong workload. I ended up getting a 3.1 grade point average. As much as I would of liked to have done better, for the amount of credits I took equals satisfaction for me.

Being a Communications major, I took three communication classes which helped me understand what the field of journalism is all about. I now know how to prepare speeches, presentations, and have become a better writer. There are so many opportunities WSU has for Freshman to get involved with their major. I currently write for the Daily Evergreen and was a Beat Writer for Cross Country in the fall which was an awesome experience. I got to interview so many runners, and even the coaching staff.

Being a beat writer, I learned more about the runners lives off the course than on it. Profiling was one of my favorite pieces to write because some of the stories I heard were pretty great to here. Now I currently am a sports columnist for the Evergreen which means that I get to write pieces on topics with my opinion. In the spring time, I will be taking the Track and Field beat which I am very excited to do. Also getting paid to do something that I enjoy doing is always great!

My first semester I was able to do a sports radio show with two of my friends who are also communication majors (Curtis Calhoun and Chris Shaw). This was a great experience because we ran the show by ourselves and didn’t have any help from the staff. It was hands-on experience and a great way to practice like the professionals. Once a week, for 2 hours we debated every sports topic you could imagine! We even were able to have 3 star recruit DeMarcus Ayers from Lancaster, Texas call into the show and get an interview with him. Now that we have a full semester under our “belts”, we plan to have big things this upcoming semester at WSU. Stay tuned for that, as I will be promoting the show on twitter!

Finally one of the most important aspects of WSU that makes it such a special place is the sporting events! Even though the football team had their struggles, being in the student section is an experience I can’t describe. WSU has some of the most dedicated fans on the planet, and football games are a huge deal on campus. You’ll find people camping out before the big game, or waiting in line 2-5 hours early just to get that awesome seat! Unfortunately I was not at the Apple Cup, but it would of been an amazing game to have gone to and be able to rush the field.

Now with basketball, the student section isn’t as alive as the one at football games, but it’s still a great experience. Probably the best basketball game I have ever been to was against No.10 ranked Gonzaga where the Cougars lost by 2 points on a buzzer beater shot from Kevin Pangos of the Zags. The student section was rocking that night, and I can’t wait for the UW game on January 5th in Beasley Coliseum!

This wraps up most of my 1st semester at WSU, and now that I have completed at full semester look for more Freshman experiences this second semester which starts January 7th!

Go Cougs!

–Evan Baron (Follow Me On Twitter: @BaselineBaron09)