With another academic year ending at Rowan University, it is time to say farewell to the Owl’s Nest blog. As school begins in the fall, I hope that students can turn to this blog for advice and to calm any worries they might have. It is important to remember that starting college can be a daunting for anyone, but it is not impossible!
You should be proud to be a Rowan Prof and make the most out of your college experience. Surround yourself with the right crowd, remember that you can learn something in every class, get involved, and live in the moment. These really are your best years!
Reflect with me and check out some of my favorite posts of the semester!
With the semester coming to an end, I had the pleasure of talking to Erin Cramer, a 19-year-old freshman, about her first year at Rowan University. Cramer is a Physics Education major, which influenced her decision to attend Rowan. While applying for schools, she knew that she wanted a college that would be close to home but still gave her the opportunity to live on campus. After being accepted to Rowan, she looked into their education program and fell in love with it.
Erin Cramer, a freshman at Rowan, holding a turtle at a RAH event. (Photo/Erin Cramer)
After making her decision, the next step was beginning college. Just like anyone else, Cramer was nervous about starting at a new school. Even though she knew some people who attended Rowan already, it was still scary moving to a new place, attending new classes, and making new friends.
However, Cramer is grateful for living on campus her freshman year and taking the opportunity to attend some of the first-week orientation activities. Attending these activates allowed her to get acclimated to the Rowan community and meet new people.
During her freshman year, Cramer lived in Magnolia Hall. Even though this is one of the older dorms at Rowan, she found that she was happy with her placement. Magnolia Hall is a smaller building, meaning that she was able to get to know everyone on her floor. Cramer gives credit to her resident advisor (R.A.) for always setting up activities throughout the year to get to know everyone. This made the living situation feel more comfortable for Cramer since she knew all the other students living around her dorm.
Even though it can be weird moving into a dorm, Cramer shares that the most important thing is to make it feel like home. Knowing that she would be spending a lot of time in her dorm, she made sure to bring elements of her bedroom at home to her dorm. This included things like pictures and other things that reminded her of home. However, she offers two pieces of advice for anyone moving to college. Buy a Britta for filtered water in your dorm and bring fans to help control the temperature in your dorm!
Reflecting back on all the memories of her freshman year, Cramer shares that she enjoyed attending Rowan After Hours (RAH) events. These late-night events are always changing and offer students the opportunity to learn new things. The most memorable event she attended was a night where students got the chance to make s’mores and paint.
Getting involved at college is important to making the most out of your freshman year. Cramer knew this and got involved in different clubs like the Radio Television Network (RTN) club and Fishing Club. Even though she was lenient at first, Cramer came to find that she actually enjoyed Fishing Club and found a new hobby.
Her biggest advice to anyone starting at Rowan would to be confident. Starting a new school can always be scary, but to remember that you are not the only one in this situation. Confidence is key to finding success in your academic career.
Even with Rowan switching over remote learning during the Covid-19 virus outbreak, Cramer felt as though she ended her semester on a strong note. Her professors were very understanding of the situation and were willing to work with students during this unique situation. She was proud of how Rowan handled this situation and is looking forward to being back on campus.
Check out this audio interview to hear Erin Cramer reflect back on her freshman year at Rowan University!
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