Being a freshman can be quite nerve racking. Admission, packing, moving in and starting classes bares a lot of stress on students. At Mississippi State University’s campus, there is a group of upper classmen dedicated to helping freshman adjust and become comfortable with all things MSU. These students are known as Freshman Navigators.
Navigators work for the Coordinator for Student Success. In the fashion of a mentor, navigators send out emails to each student involved in the program to keep them updated on the upcoming events here on campus.
To ensure freshman students excel in their studies, navigators help schedule tutoring services for the students. Students and their navigators have the option to meet up and get to know each other on a more personal level and further their college experience.
Erinn Funches, freshman undeclared major, explained her experience of having a navigator help her make the transition into the college world.
“Moving on to a campus as large and diverse as this one, I was extremely nervous. Mississippi State offers such a wide opportunity to become your own person. I was overwhelmed by the choices I had. A few days after move-in, I was contacted by my navigator,” she said. “We instantly clicked, and she has helped me so much since arriving on campus. If I need help with my assignments, need a suggestion for a good restaurant in town or even just need someone to talk with, she is there for me. It’s like having a big sister.”
Each navigator is assigned around 175 students. Navigators keep in touch with each other by having weekly meetings to make sure they are working together and to plan upcoming events such as freshman movie night on Wednesday.
Rodney Pearson, coordinator of the program, said navigators are a great support and encourages freshmen to get involved.
“The Navigators are a part of a larger effort to help MSU freshmen get the most out of their freshman year. The Convocation kicked off the school year with a really engaging afternoon. President Keenum talked about bringing the Convocation Coin across the graduation stage in four years; he talked about the importance of going to class,” he said. “Sarah Thebarge talked about her many challenges and the work to overcome them. To me, this was a great start to the school year, and the Navigators were there to share as much as possible with the freshman experience.”
The Navigators have created a website for freshmen, freshman.msstate.edu, and have started a series of quizzes for freshmen to take part in known as “iKnownMaroon.” Every Monday a document is dispersed to the students, and they are asked a series of questions over the next week about the document.
Every answered question enters the student into a weekly drawing where three random winners are chosen for a $15 gift card. All of these activities are designed to help students get involved and keep them informed of all the opportunities available during their freshman year.
The Navigators’ goal is to establish communication and relationships with students. In many ways, Navigators are the familiar face of the university and a welcoming support for all freshmen.
