Non-La. students frustrated

 
College life hasn’t been an easy adjustment for students; especially for those whom have traveled from outside the comfort of their state to get an education elsewhere in a new state.
The outcry coming from students at Southern University is being heard as the subject of improving life on campus for out-of-state students is up for discussion.
It’s not easy for out-of-state students dealing with the ongoing problems of school; from dealing with financial aid, finding out that they owe the school money for funds that they have already paid for, the everyday problems at school, worrying about financial stability, and dealing with being homesick.
Sean Lawrence, a junior from Carson, Calif., said, “Southern University doesn’t go out of their way to understand certain problems an out-of-state student may have. I don’t have the luxury of living in the area so if I have a problem with something like housing, it may affect me more that someone who is isn’t from here.”
Out-of-state students feel as though that the administration is not putting in the time and effort to help make semesters away from home more comfortable.
“In regards to out-of-state students, more attention and services should be provided to communication channels,” said Reginald Brown, a senior from Tacoma, Wash.
He said administrators could move some departments such as the Registrar’s Office, Residential Life, and the Bursar’s Office into one central area in order to help students who have to go back and forth for campus signatures and paperwork.
Some students think that a lot of the staff aside from professors do not possess the proper social skills when it comes to dealing with people.  
Khalid Washington, a junior from Bloomington, Ill., said, “I am mildly dissatisfied with how out-of-state students are treated.”
In-state students always have questioned out-of-state students about what had made them decide to leave their home state and come to school out in Louisiana.
“There was a HBCU convention in my area and I thought that SU would be a good choice for me. I also realized that I had family not far from the school’s location so that helped shape my choice,” Lawrence said.  
Some out-of-state students may have received a scholarship in either academics or sports. There are also out-of-state students who felt that they needed a change of scenery towards where they would attend school.
Most out-of-state students have had family members or relatives that attended Southern in the past that explained to them their HBCU experiences.
Different reasons such as culture shock, bad grades, feelings as if needs aren’t being met; contribute to the reasons why out-of-state student populations are dropping slowly but surely in the last couple of years.  
No matter how out-of-state students discovered Southern, the fact of the matter remains that student ​life is still in works toward improving campus life not only for out-of-state students, but also to in state students as well.