Insider Tips for College Freshmen

The essays in this collection came from an assignment in ENGL 101 (First-Year Writing). The prompt was to write a narrative argument that makes a point about community. To prepare for the assignment, students read essays and articles about community, and did brainstorming and freewriting activities about times that they did or did not feel that they belonged in a particular community. Although students could write about any community, many chose to write about community at Xavier. One of the articles that we read mentioned a study finding one way to help college students experience belonging is to help them understand that many people struggle with the transition to college (Lu). We thought that our essays could be used to share this truth.

Some of the essays in this collection focus specifically on belonging. Others offer other tips, insights, and information that can help students in their college careers – at Xavier or elsewhere.

We hope you enjoy!

Alexia Taylor, First-Year Student

Karin Admiraal, Instructor

Work Cited

Lu, Adrienne. "Everyone Is Talking About Belonging, but What Does It Really Mean?" Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 69, no. 12, 17 Feb., 2023, pp. 1-6.