K-State gives freshmen an informative headstart on navigating college life through its Kompass program
College is an amalgamation of new. New classes, new schedules, new living spaces, new food, new friends and new life goals. This can be a shocking time for a student, so K-State has created a preparatory program to ease the transition.
Making connections
Through Kompass, freshmen get acclimated to college life right before their first semester. Kompass connects new students with each other and reveals the variety of resources in K-State’s inventory.
Before the beginning
Before the semester officially begins, Kompass students spend three days getting to know each other, the campus and their ideal majors. Then they are introduced to professionals and professors who may become their mentors throughout college.
Kompass students can move into residence halls early. And the best part — all Kompass benefits are free!
“As freshmen, we’re all nervous about those first few weeks of school,” said Jordyn Tombs, a business administration major. “There are so many different people, and finding community and friends can be intimidating. Kompass took away that anxiety because we were all doing it together. We were able to get to know each other quickly and find some of our closest friends.”
Tombs also said Kompass taught her the basics of networking and introduced her to different on-campus organizations. Kompass helped her join the Rise Up Scholars program in the College of Business Administration.
Kompass assistance doesn’t stop at freshman year. Tombs says she still has connections with mentors, and her program coordinators continue to check in to offer help.
“They put in work to continue pushing you to success, even if you don’t see them every day,” she said. “That is something that is truly priceless.”
By Kate Ellwood
Curated from ‘Opportunities always within an arm’s length’