First Year Student Reflection

By: Ava Joy Smith, English with a Writing Concentration and a Public Relations Minor, Boise, Idaho

 

First Year Experience Programs is focused on providing your Zag with resources during their first year to develop their sense of belonging to Gonzaga University. Orientation is a process, not an event and our freshman student office assistant has provided a reflection on her first year.

Freshman, Ava Smith, came to Gonzaga from Boise, Idaho. Here is her story of how she has transitioned and developed a sense of belonging at Gonzaga University.

 

My freshman year at Gonzaga University was everything I expected, yet so much more than I expected, all at the same time. While it’s only been a year, I have learned an incredible amount about education, life and myself. The months leading up to Orientation were filled with building up hopes of what I was expecting to get out of my four years at Gonzaga. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but there were two things that I was certainly hoping for.

One was to find a place where I knew I belonged, to be a part of a community that cared about me and was willing to support me in every decision I made, academic and beyond.

The second was that I would be attending Zag basketball games.

I can confidently say that my first year at GU has achieved both of those expectations.

However, the growth and experiences I have had during this year are not limited to what I thought it was going to be, but exceed so many of my expectations. As much as I wanted to convince myself otherwise, I had no idea what to expect out of my first year and time at college. I showed up to campus and pretended I knew exactly what I was doing, and where I was going, because I didn’t want anyone to think that I wasn’t prepared for college.

Looking back, I was wrong.

The reality was that no one knew what they were doing, or where they were going just yet. That was why we were at Gonzaga; to find some meaningful direction to go in with the talents that we were given and with the passions that are already within us. This was one of the first things that I learned at Gonzaga. Throughout Orientation, I got the chance to talk to a plethora of people, many of which with undecided majors or unknown visions for the future. I realized that I didn’t have to have it all figured out, either. We were here, and as long as we applied and invested ourselves in what this campus had to offer, our futures would unravel before us. The environment of this campus reinforced the idea that everyone is here to help you succeed, and as long as you work hard at your classes and take advantage of your resources, you will begin to see the rest of your life taking shape.

Throughout my first year, I encountered some challenges, some of which I had expected, some of which I had not. Being far from my family was one of the only things that weighed on me in the months leading up to my departure, and something that I had anticipated would be difficult for me. This was true, but one thing that I found that surprised me was how this campus became a new home. I formed a “college family” that I would miss just as much when I went to visit my actual home. This new community that I was a part of helped ease my anxieties and sadness about being so far from my family. I knew that I was where I was supposed to be. I had to embrace this part of my life while I had the chance. I created my own little life here, and I was loving it. One of my favorite moments was going home for Thanksgiving, which was the first time I had been home since I had left in August. I got the chance to reunite with my immediate family, as well as all my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. I got to tell them about how great my school was and they would ask me questions that I would gladly answer. I felt proud of the fact that I was at Gonzaga, and that’s a feeling that I soon learned would never go away.

My first year presented some challenges with many highs and lows, but I have learned that the highs and lows we encounter are what inspires growth and meaningful change within ourselves. My first year at Gonzaga has given me so many important experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This year has been great start to my college experience and instrumental in growing as an individual. Though I may have had some worries initially, I can see that Gonzaga has given me the confidence to say that I am on the right path. I know that GU will be a great way to achieve my potential and push me into working toward my goals with a reckless abandon and purpose. I am excited for the future, and to see how I will carry the core values of this school with me after I graduate. But most of all, I can’t wait to see what the next three years has in store.

 

If your Zag needs any support or wants to get involved with First Year Experience Programs, please visit us in Crosby Center 101, follow us on social media @ZagFirstYear or contact us at firstyearexperience@gonzaga.edu, (509) 313-5501.