做好准备通常是新生适应大学生活最困难的部分。 In fact, one out of five freshmen don’t return to school for their sophomore year. 在科尔尼的太阳城娱乐官网大学，学生们有机会在大学的第一年选择生活在一个创造性设计的环境中，以此来克服这些困难。 For Brenda Jochum, who is in charge of making the 商业与技术学院’s Living Learning Community (LLC) a unique experience for business and technology students, her job is a work of the heart. She wants “them to know that they’re important” and that 太阳城娱乐官网 cares “that they’re here.” Although the College of 商业与科技’s LLC has existed for a few years, this past fall semester Jochum implemented a program to help students develop positive connections that she knows will help them transition from high school to college. 

Jochum, who holds a master’s degree in Youth Development, started working with this year’s freshmen before they ever stepped foot on 太阳城娱乐官网’s campus for the fall semester. 去年夏天，作为一名经过认证的cliftonstrengthscoach教练，她与LLC的学生分享了这份评估报告。 当他们到达自己的房间时，他们发现门上的标志表明了他们的个人优势。 While it is advantageous for the students to have an awareness of their suitemate’s strengths, another purpose, according to Jochum, is for each student to “engage in their natural talents to gain confidence in who they are and the potential that they bring” to 太阳城娱乐官网.

Jochum enjoys informal meetings with the students as it’s during these times that she helps them navigate their freshmen year. 她能够帮助他们解决一些问题，比如选择合适的课程，弄清楚他们是否选错了课程，并为他们在大学生涯的这个阶段所需要的东西提出建议。 She states that “being able to really work with them more on a personal level has been really rewarding to me.”

卡斯滕·福克斯（Carsten Fox）是太阳城娱乐官网大学的一名学生，目前住在这家有限责任公司。据他说，Jochum所做的工作改变了他的大太阳城娱乐官网。 As one of the thirty-four students who call this LLC home, one of the best advantages he has experienced is that “everybody is connected. Everyone knows one another.” 福克斯很感激这样一个事实，如果他需要有人一起学习，他总是有一个同学就在走廊的那头。 因为LLC的很多学生都在上同样的课，所以小组项目很容易完成，因为小组的大多数成员都住在几英尺之内。

Although Fox admits it’s “so much easier to do homework” with his classmates living close by, a fact which he states is “a huge advantage,” he notes other beneficial opportunities outside of the dorm. 在甜甜圈和咖啡搅拌器上，学生们能够与教授互动，这使他们能够探索其他学术可能性。 他分享说，这可以导致学生选择双专业或辅修感谢有机会非正式地了解各种各样的程序可在太阳城娱乐官网。

It’s not all about academics though. 当Jochum从学生那里得知他们想要更频繁地见面时，她开始为他们计划更多的社交活动，比如披萨和Wii运动之夜，以结束秋季学期。 Jochum今年实现了这一战略设计，让有幸住在这家有限责任公司的学生轻松完成从高中到大学的过渡。

Jochum and Fox both acknowledge the role CliftonStrengths has played in the success of this LLC. Fox explains that students need to know they’re only going to “get out what they put in” but, if they learn about their strengths, they will “be way ahead.” 他建议，学习CliftonStrengths不仅可以帮助学生掌握软技能，还可以帮助他们掌握将来在更高级别课程中使用的技能。 Jochum couldn’t agree more. As a certified coach, she appreciates the chance to give the students who live in this LLC a “deep dive into CliftonStrengths.” 这个资源开发工具已经存在了半个世纪，它让学生有机会打下坚实的基础，他们不仅可以在整个学校经历中建立基础，还可以在毕业后带着他们进入现实世界。

This year’s LLC students, who represent a combined total of twelve different business and technology majors, have already met with Dean Jares, attended a session on time management, and worked on upgrading their high school resume to a college resume. Jochum’s goal for this year’s group was to create an environment where they would “stand out and be the best prepared” for all 太阳城娱乐官网 has to offer them. 她确保他们在进入今年时了解自己的优势，现在正在教他们如何最好地利用这些知识。

As good as the fall semester was, Jochum has big plans for the future of this LLC. She understands that emerging adults “want to have a voice” while engaging in activities that are purposeful as well as enjoyable. 她未来的目标之一是为学生提供更多的学生对学生和职业指导。 She is grateful that her students are now “more aware of resources” available to them and hopes they can “pay it forward” to the next cohort of incoming LLC students.

Fox, who wants this LLC to thrive, has expressed an interest in becoming a mentor for next year’s incoming freshmen. He has seen how “having this LLC is kind of like one big family” where you’re given “everything you can ask for to thrive in college.” 他想与他人分享他所得到的礼物。 In his own words, he is “so glad that (he) filled out the scholarship for it.” 他想帮助其他学生找到这个令人难以置信的机会，Jochum已经在太阳城娱乐官网成为可能。

The College of 商业与科技’s Living Learning Community, located on the second floor of Centennial Towers West, is one of the many hidden gems at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. 和和你有相似兴趣的人住在一个社区的机会是一个大学新生不应该错过的。