“Anytime we came down here, I just loved the campus. I loved how everything was set up,” said Caitlin. “I’m not going to lie, this was the only one I seriously applied for. This is where I wanted to go.”
“I’m not a shy person.”
Since arriving on campus, Caitlin hasn’t wasted any time getting involved. “I’m not a shy person, so I’m not afraid of putting myself out there. I think that’s helped me a lot,” said Caitlin.
She is the president of Hutchens Hall Council, a member of the Residence Hall Association, a centennial leader and a member of SGA, CCM and SAC. She credits her involvement with her smooth transition into college life: “The friends that I have made helped me and getting involved. If you get involved in an organization, that really helps.”
“We should make a chore list.”
Caitlin admits that she was a little nervous to meet her roommates. “Those three chose to live together, and I was just thrown in there. I was afraid of being the fourth wheel,” she said. “It turns out that we are all pretty similar, so it worked out.”
The suitemates decorate their rooms for every season and even adopted a fish. While living with roommates has its ups, Caitlin also admits that it has its downs—like dirty dishes and overflowing trashcans. “We should make a chore list; that would probably help!” she said with a laugh.
“That was a stinker.”
During her first semester, Caitlin has adapted to some of the new features of her life at Missouri State: the lack of a car and the distance to the nearest Sonic. “I don’t have a car down here because my brother went two or three years without one. It sometimes difficult,” she said. “I had to go to Wal-Mart for like three weeks. It just so happened that every time my roommates would go, I would be gone at a meeting or something. That was a stinker.”
Her nearby neighbor has helped her cope with the distance to the nearest Sonic and her loved strawberry limeades. “My neighbor next door, she also loves happy hour at Sonic,” she said. “If she knows I’m in my room, she’s like, ‘Caitlin, happy hour?’ Yes! I’ll be there!”
“They say after you get past calc II, it gets better.”
Caitlin, who is majoring in education, did hit one roadblock this semester: her calculus II class. “It was a lot different from calculus I and the high school pace of a whole year rather than a semester,” said Caitlin. “I wasn’t doing very well, so I wound up dropping it. That was a tough decision for me to make because I was scared with my financial aid and scholarships. But, it’s turned out great; no repercussions. I’m retaking it next semester.”
Her plan for success next semester? Preparation, the Bear CLAW and knowing that it gets better. “I’m going to be more prepared for what to expect. I’m not going to be shy to go into the Bear CLAW for help,” she said. “They say after you get past calc II, it gets better.”
Follow Caitlin's journey through college on the My Place at Missouri State site.
