Tips for Incoming Freshmen at Ball State University

You’re free! You’ve escaped high school relatively unscathed and decided to make the leap to Ball State. The truth is, you could have scarcely come at a better time. Ball State’s academic reputation is at its highest point in history, and is working hard to keep it that way, making your eventual degree more valuable every year.

But enough talk about degrees and graduation and the real world. You want to know what to expect from the Nest, the Student Center, the Atrium and the dorms, right? Well, while Ball State isn’t a massive or complicated place, it might take some time to get acclimated. Here’s a list of tips and tricks for those freshmen getting ready to nest at the home of the Cardinals.

Leave your preconceptions at home. College is an entirely different ballgame from high school. Some of what worked at home will work here, but keep your mind open to new ways of doing things, and try not to come into college with a set way of doing things. Chances are, the way you see Ball State is going to change every year.

Use this time to reinvent yourself. This one might be a little confusing. But use the next four (or five, or six...) years to experience the world from the safety of the “college bubble.” There are people from all walks of life at college, and Ball State, especially is a patchwork of diversity in terms of interests and backgrounds. Opening yourself up to some of those interests might just change your life.

Network. A lot. Okay, “network” might sound like adult-speak. But use your first few weeks at Ball State to put yourself out on a social limb. Meet everyone you possibly can. Then meet their friends. There’s a reason Ball State has a reputation as a social university. Use it to your advantage.