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Welcome to Peer to Peer, the CAS Peer Advising Blog! Check out our posts for FAQs, advising tips, and current events!

Monday, September 24, 2012

College Transitions: Moving Out and Moving Up!

So you just officially moved out of your parent’s home for maybe the first time ever. You moved onto campus and have been trying to get settled into your new life here at AU. It is completely normal to not feel entirely comfortable or settled in just yet. The transition of going to college can be a very stressful time for some with all of the changes that naturally occur. But have no fear your peer advisors are here with some helpful tips on how to get through this transition!

1. Get involved (on campus and in DC)
You now live in DC – an exciting and vibrant town full of many different types of people and countless activities to partake in. Even if none of the clubs or sports teams on campus fit your fancy, getting involved can be helpful even just to take your mind off of missing home and feeling out of place. Sometimes being surrounded by people who are going through the same emotional rollercoaster as you can be comforting.

2. Talk it out
The feelings that you may be experiencing now are completely normal and something that your peer advisors experienced when they came to AU. There is a variety of people on campus who would be more than willing to listen and try to give some advice on how to process the adjustment, including your advisors both peer or academic, professors, and AU’s counseling center.

3. Stay organized
Going through a transition like this one can seem even more overwhelming if you don’t stay organized. Utilizing planners, computer and phone calendars, or whichever method works best for you to stay up on all of your assignments and other commitments can be very helpful. Another important aspect of staying organized on campus is keeping an open line of communication with professors and other resources on campus. Going to professor’s office hours or events on campus designed to help you get acclimated can be very beneficial.

4. Be open and patient
Try to give yourself enough time to fully adjust to this big transition. Even if everyone around seems to be fully adjusted it may not be the case. Be open to the feelings you may experience and be willing to act on them to ask for help.Also be patient with yourself - if some of your classes are feeling like they're too much work or over your head try to be proactive and talk to your professors, visit the Writing Lab, or the Academic Support Center to manage the stress a bit better.

5. Take chances
This is the beginning of a great chapter in your life so this should be a very exciting time even amongst the stress or confusion. Try to experience new things and branch outside of your comfort zone. This can include joining clubs or sports you never thought to try, taking a class in a new discipline or speaking up a bit more in class.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Welcome from your 2012-2013 CAS Peer Advisors!


We’re all so excited to welcome you to American University for a new school year! 


My name is Sofie Friedman and I am one of your Peer Advisors this year! I am from Columbia, MD and am currently a Senior Psychology major. I am also currently working with kids with Autism which I absolutely love. I spent last semester studying abroad at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and had an amazing time. I am so excited to be starting my first year as a peer advisor and can’t wait to meet everyone!


This blog will be used to update everyone on upcoming events and provide some general advice on things that we, as peer advisors and AU students, think may be beneficial for you to know. We are open to suggestions on blog topics so if you have an idea about something you want us to cover feel free to email us! You should also follow our updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages to check out the latest things going on.

There are 3 other peer advisors who also will be meeting with students and getting to know you: Meg Fischer, Triana Tello Gerez, and Shanice Harris. As peer advisors we can provide you with a student’s perspective on how to survive your four years here at AU. We are all current students in CAS and can therefore advise based on our experiences that we’ve had. We can help you with anything from figuring out what you should major in, to advice on studying abroad, to trying to figure out what classes to take – and of course everything in between! Don’t be shy to come by and see us - we were each in your positions not too long ago and are here to help you. We can be contacted via email at caspeeradvisors@american.edu or in person during our office hours in Battelle 164. We look forward to getting to meet all of you and wish you luck as you start off your year!


Meg Fischer 

 Hi! My name is Meg Fischer and I am a senior studying Elementary Education and Psychology. When not peer advising or in the 5th grade, you can find me in the Wellness Center, The Dav, or in my Education Methods classes. I love coffee and the color coral. Can't wait to meet you!
Triana Tello Gerez 

Triana is a senior from Mexico City double majoring in Economics and Environmental Science. This is her second year working as a CAS Peer Advisor and loves meeting and helping out fellow students.  She studied abroad at the London School of Economics and she spent last summer interning in DC and working in a lab here at AU.

Shanice Harris 

 Hello American Eagles! My name is Shanice Harris and I am one of your 2012-2013 CAS Peer Advisors. I'm a sophomore in the Premedical Program. My current major is Biology, but I am in the process of switching it to Public Health. I grew up in West Orange, New Jersey which is 20-30 minutes away from New York City. I am looking forward to meeting and working with everyone this year!