Classes for the 16 week semester start on Jan. 20 and the first few weeks can be a confusing experience. Erin Logan, student life director, said students can help themselves feel more comfortable with their surroundings by asking questions.

Logan said the campus can be intimidating at first, with the multiple buildings, parking lots, and levels. The answer, she said, isn’t getting lost until you figure it out. Find a table, a professor, or walk into an office and ask for help.

“We will have welcome week tables out the entire first week that will have schedule books. Faculty and staff will be around campus that their sole purpose is to ask questions to them. They can help students find their way, figure out what office they’re supposed to go to. The biggest, biggest, biggest piece of advice is to ask questions and to not be afraid to ask questions.

“We’re here to help and we want to make sure the students have an opportunity to be successful. It can be scary, this building can be overwhelming, but everybody on campus is so willing to leave their desk, go walk a student to their class, show them on a map, make sure they understand they know where to go, and then help them through any of the processes we need to,” Logan said.

She also recommends people become involved on campus and find an area that captivates their interests. Students can join a club, or even start their own if they don’t find one they like. Upcoming events like the Clubs and Organization Fair, held during the second week of the semester, and the Volunteer Fair, held in February, give students an opportunity to meet other students and find an area for them to get connected, Logan said.

Working on campus is another great way to become engaged in OCCC and its activities. She said students can visit the Graduation, Employment, and Graduation Services Office, or check the college website for any openings.

Logan said the Student Life Office exists to help students, and they are more than happy to assist students throughout the semester.

“We’re just excited for this semester and if there’s anything the Office of Student Life or Enrollment and Student Services can do to help people have a good experience at OCCC, just ask.”

For more information about Student Life, visit www.occc.edu/studentlife/index.html or call 405-682-7523.