Alyssa Chambers

 

August in Grand Junction is a poignant time. With its carnival of warm, enticing weather and immeasurable outdoor undertakings, August indicates that the three months of sunshine and summer fun we have become so hopelessly attached to are undeniably coming to an end. 

The streets of Junction become busier, the need for a parking pass becomes apparent after your third parking ticket of the week, and the Grand Junction Police Department starts making random appearances at any slight indication of fun. As students populate the town and bring the campus back to life, they are sure to be greeted by more than just a new student center. With the new year comes countless new faces, decisions, experiences, and opportunities. 

And as we start a new semester, I find myself reflecting on where I was this time last year, as a freshman at Mesa State. 

I readily stood on the line of transition from a high school senior to a freshman in college and I was eager to leave the image I had gotten stuck with in high school behind and remold myself into a better, more adult me! And in my efforts to do so, I quickly became aware of just how important first impressions actually are. 

It takes roughly three seconds for a person to assess and form an opinion of you. This judgment is usually based solely off your appearance; your attire, mannerisms, and demeanor. 

Shallow as this may seem, it is inevitable. Most of us do it without even knowing. So with every new encounter we are evaluated and yet another impression is formed. And those impressions are often times very difficult to change or expunge. 

This fact alone adds incredible pressure on one to get a first impression just right. But take a moment to consider all the possible emotions involved in the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life; a new home, school, acquaintances. 

We tend to be nervous, excited anxious or any other myriad of emotions. And each one of these sentiments factor into the way we present ourselves, creating a type of camouflage that inhibits us from making a legitimate and unpretentious first impression. 

I believe that the only solution to breaking through our shields of emotions is through self-awareness. Analyze and critique yourself before allowing others to. 

That is the necessary tool in regaining any kind of control over those emotional blockades that we associate with first meetings. If we have a greater understanding of how we want others to perceive us, we are better able to yield actions in that direction. 

Denial of such awareness may only lead us down a path of repetitive behavior. Humans are creatures of habit. 

So as you venture into yet another year at Mesa State, or even if you’re just now joining the Mav Community, consider the slate clean and a golden opportunity to start fresh. 

Examine yourself, elect what you believe to be your best assets, and showcase them. Allow others to see the person you’re proud to be. Don’t let yourself fall into old those old habits or routines we so desperately want to shake. With the new year, better yourself. 

As Benjamin Franklin once so wisely said, “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.” Make your first impressions good, and this year great.