Wisdom of One Year on the 40 Acres

I spent the majority of my senior year of high school struggling to decide where I wanted to go to college. I applied to far too many schools under far too many majors and needed to make a decision. In the end, I chose to go to UT Austin for a variety of reasons. If you are an incoming freshman this fall, you have already made one of the best decisions of your life. UT is extremely diverse, rich in resources, and is the perfect place to start this next part of your life so Hook 'Em Horns!

Looking back at my freshman year, I appreciate all of the advice I was given about managing time, succeeding in classes, and exploring the resources UT has to offer. That’s not to say my first year wasn’t without its fair share of hiccups. There were times when I felt lost, times when I felt like I had strayed far off the path I was supposed to be on, and times when I felt too overwhelmed to continue. While there is no one piece of advice that will solve all of your freshman-year problems, I have a few things to say that the average incoming Coptic freshman will hopefully benefit from hearing.

First of all, do not take the Coptic community for granted, especially at UT. UT is a huge school and it’s very easy to feel lost in a sea of strangers. Having that tight-knit community (Coptic Students of Texas (CST)) to fall back on is invaluable, especially starting off when you don’t know that many people. The sense of community in CST is mirrored in the Coptic Church in Austin, which is as homey as the house of God can be.

This brings me to my second piece of advice, which is go to church. I definitely struggled with this one, and I would like to formally apologize to every CST member that was supposed to give me a ride Sunday morning and had to call me like a million times to wake me up. Going to church regularly is important for your spiritual life (duh). If your relationship with God is solid, then you can handle anything you will face at UT (or all of life).

Lastly, take classes you’re interested in. I enjoyed being in a non-major class of my choice each semester because I would get bored if I was taking nothing but classes in the same subject area. Personally, I elected to take Arabic I (which I highly recommend) in the fall of my freshman year. UT has a phenomenal Arabic program with world-renowned faculty and amazing opportunity to study abroad. Taking Arabic has been an invaluable experience so far, and I can’t wait to continue with more classes. Being able to read Arabic has changed my experience in church every Sunday, my interactions with my family, and my goals for my future.

You are about to start a new chapter of your life, and I hope that you enjoy every minute of it.

#Freshman #CopticStudentsofTexas