Freshmen registration brings three hundred new students to campus

Ryan Bowling
University Communications

In June, freshmen registration brought about 300 incoming students to Drury’s campus for their first taste of the college atmosphere. These students were summoned to prepare, both mentally and paperworkally, for that fateful first day when they find their books aren’t handed out, they have to share a shower with six (sometimes more if you’re a guy) people and the names of classes include both letters and numbers. This is a drastic change for most of those 300, but Drury has established methods to help ease the initial shock of leaving the nest. But now it’s August, which means for those students it’s nearly time to actually attend those classes they signed up for in June.

“By registering students during the summer they get some reassurance about their schedules. They can come on campus and meet other first year students and they can meet faculty members,” Dr. Jeanie Allen, former First Year Experience director, said. “This gives students some sense of security when it comes time to move into the dorm or attend the first day of class. Students can also arrange to meet their roommates on registration day and that provides another way to become familiar with what lies ahead.”

Allen feels the incoming freshmen class is unique in many ways from previous first-timers, something she isn’t always inclined to say. “This year’s class seems quite interested in their studies and anxious to begin their college careers.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean they have it all figured out and are ready to dive right in. “Many of our students this year have yet to decide upon a major,” she continued. “However, I see that as a good thing. During the first year of college, students change so much that they need to feel comfortable allowing themselves to find out who they really are and what they are really interested in.”

But every class finds its fair share of bumps in the road. At summer registration, Allen and her Alpha and Orientation Leaders a experienced few of those bumps, as expected, and overall felt satisfied about the day. “Classes do close,” she said. “Sometimes students will choose their ideal schedule and that has to be changed. But for the most part students seemed very pleased with the schedules that they took home with them.”

But the benefits of the entire freshmen registration day two months before classes begin, as well as Drury’s First Year Experience Program, far outweigh those bumps. “The first year of college is filled with change. Our first year program is designed to provide students with services that assist them in moving toward taking responsibility for their own learning,” Allen said. “ In Alpha Seminar, one of our main goals is to help each student develop the writing, communication and thinking skills that are necessary to succeed in college. By focusing on these competencies, we provide students with the ability to have a rich experience at Drury.”

Pulling off a big day like freshmen registration takes a lot of teamwork, from Allen to the Alpha and Orientation Leaders to the entire campus. “It is truly a testament to the amazing staff and faculty at Drury that we can provide our first year students with a successful day for registration,” Allen said. “It takes a lot of planning and teamwork for this day to happen. Some truly dedicated and hardworking people are part of this Drury community.”