Freshman year of college can be a lonely time for college students. Many students eat alone, study alone and go to events alone, which can have negative impacts on mental health. 

This can be discouraging for students as they are going through a major transitionary period in their lives. 

University Seminar is a class designed to help students deal with the struggles of coming to college while teaching them the ins and outs of being a student. 

While this class is helpful, it focuses more on academic growth rather than personal growth. 

In an effort to provide students with personal development tips, Delta Sigma Theta and Sigma Gamma Rho joined forces and hosted a freshman seminar last week. 

Unlike other freshman seminars, there were ice breakers, games, prizes and tips from older students. 

At first, some students were reluctant to stand up and introduce themselves during the icebreaker. However, after everyone was finished explaining a little bit about themselves, the tension slowly left. 

After the first game that encouraged students to dance and mingle, all tension was gone. 

Kayla LaCoste, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, said events like these can feel awkward at first, so having games and icebreakers really helps break up some of the tension. 

“I feel like it’s super important to have games and ice breakers because it gets everyone involved and out their comfort zone,” LaCoste said. “The ice breaker we played during this event involved dancing and finding partners, […] which allowed me to get close with some of the freshmen.”

Sorority members also shared tips that have helped them throughout college. 

Many students emphasized the idea that self-care is just as important as school work. 

Megan Thomas, the president of Sigma Gamma Rho, said thriving in school goes beyond just school work—It starts with taking care of yourself. 

“It’s important to take care of yourself because you’re all you have. You’ll have your body whether you pass a class or not,” Thomas said. “Therefore, you should take care of yourself so you can continue to thrive in life outside of school.”

After students gave their tips, they played ULM-themed Jeopardy to help them learn more about the campus while getting to know each other. 

Destiny Gilmore, the president of Delta Sigma Theta, said events like these not only help freshmen interact but they also give sororities the chance to interact and work together. 

“You hardly see sororities working together as soon as you get to campus,” Gilmore said. “We wanted our first impression to new students to be welcoming and that it’s not just about strolling and dissing another sorority but working together to help those in our community.”