Illinois State University welcomed 3,983 freshmen, the largest class in 35 years, to its student body for the 2022–2023 academic year. Kaitlyn Elliott is one of these new students coming to Illinois State to study biology. As a high school student, she was very involved in student activities and clubs and hoped to continue her involvement at Illinois State. Elliott sat down to talk about her experiences through the first half of the fall semester and share how being involved with Student Affairs activities has helped her adapt to her new life as a college freshman.
What brought you to Illinois State?
Elliott: “When I was looking at different colleges, I didn’t want to choose a school where I would be just number. I thought that Illinois State was the perfect size for what I had in mind. I went to a small high school near Iowa City, Iowa, so I was familiar with what a large college campus looked like. I was also interested in studying biology in college because I eventually want to attend med school. The combination of school size and having a good biology program is why I chose Illinois State.”
What has been your favorite experience at Illinois State so far?
“My favorite experience at Illinois State so far has been Family Weekend. I enjoyed showing my close family my life here and hanging out with them after being away for awhile. It was a cool opportunity and they really enjoyed visiting campus for the first time since I moved in.”
What has surprised you the most about life as a college student?
“I was surprised by the amount of free time I have in college. I have always been good at managing my time, so I didn’t struggle with this, but I was surprised by how unstructured my days were. A few things I did to add structure to my day were joining University Program Board (UPB) and Impact Dance Team as well as getting an off-campus job. This has helped me to develop a separation between school and social life as well as balance the two.”
Which clubs and activities are you involved with?
“I am currently involved with the University Program Board, Impact Dance Team, and the Pre-Health Society.”
How did you get involved with these groups?
“I first learned a lot about the different clubs and organizations during Preview. Once I arrived on campus, I found out more information during Festival ISU. I met my current roommate through the Illinois State Facebook page before coming to campus, and she shares a lot of the interests that I have. We are both in UPB and the Pre-Health Society together. It has really helped to know somebody that was also interested in joining these groups.”
Is involvement something new to you?
“I was a very involved student before coming to Illinois State. In high school, I was student council president and in the National Honors Society. In these groups, I was able to travel, plan events, and coordinate activities like spirit week. We are starting to plan events now for the spring semester for UPB, and it really helped to have previous planning experience.”
What are the benefits of being an involved student?
“I like having activities to fill my time between classes. Also, I think that being involved in student activities is a good way to meet new people. My friends from high school all attend other colleges several hours away, so it has been nice being able to meet a lot of new people in the clubs that I’m involved with.”
What advice would you give to future incoming freshmen?
“I would definitely say get involved, but don’t overwhelm yourself. There is a lot of information about clubs you can join at Preview. I also recommend exploring what ISU has to offer at Festival ISU. At both events, I was able to visit booths and learn a lot about what the different clubs have to offer. They also helped by providing information on how to sign up. It helps to have a roommate with similar interests, so try and find somebody who would also like to join groups that interest you.”
