Over the past few months, the world has not been shy to change and transition. We have had to adjust to new schedules, routines, and habits, all while avoiding contact with our friends and family. On top of not being able to go anywhere outside of the house, students in their senior year of high school have been robbed of “lasts” like prom, graduation, and—most importantly—in-person college visits and orientation.
Seeing your future campus up close and personal is advertised by universities across the country as one of the main ways to get a real feel for your new home. This is usually an opportunity for prospective students to see dorm rooms, tour campus, sit in on classes, and hear all about the clubs, sports, and student organizations they can be a part of.
At WVU, the richness of student engagement and student life are things that we pride ourselves on. With outstanding sports teams, countless intramurals, and almost 500 student organizations on campus, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re interested in having gameday watch parties, studying abroad, finances, literature, studio art, hiking, your heritage…the list goes on (for about 480 more opportunities).
The first time I learned about WVU’s endless extracurricular opportunities was through an excited tour guide, smiling and yelling into a microphone on a charter bus at my freshman orientation. She loved going on and on about all of the things you—yes, you—can be a part of at WVU. I visited student organization fairs in the Mountainlair, where the ballroom and entryway were lined with tables, poster boards, and smiling people in colorful t-shirts holding signs advertising whatever they had become a member of. While there will probably be an online substitute for prospective WVU students in the class of 2024, it just won’t feel the same.
As Health Sciences students, you know the importance of staying home and distancing yourselves from large crowds right now better than anyone, but it can still be a bummer to miss out on all of your college previews.
That’s exactly why WVU has so many online resources to help you get connected and stay connected once you first step foot on campus in the fall; like the website you’re on right now! My name is Emma Swiger, and I’m a freshman majoring in Immunology & Medical Microbiology and minoring in Psychology. I’m a School of Medicine Professional Programs Student Ambassador, which is an organization that promotes the programs within WVU’s School of Medicine, including my major, Exercise Physiology, Medical Laboratory Science, and Health Informatics and Information Management. We participate in WVU visit days, advocate for our programs at local schools, send letters to prospective Health Sciences students, and post on the blog you’re reading right now! This is a great way to get involved with people who have similar academic and career interests to you, as well as meet more people within your major.
In addition to this, I’m involved in the Student Organ Donation Advocates (SODA), Mountaineer Mentors, the Honors Student Association, the American Society for Microbiology, and Lincoln Hall’s hall council. These clubs have helped me get involved and have allowed me to find professional opportunities I never would have before. They have allowed me to make new friends, network with people in my field, and feel connected as a student at WVU. Getting involved in student organizations is a perfect way to balance work and play, since a lot of them overlap the two!
Here are some tips for the incoming class of 2024 on how to get involved before you even get to WVU, since you might not have gotten the opportunity to hear them in person:
- Go to meetings, even if you’re not sure whether you’ll like the club! This is the perfect way to meet new people and figure out how your interests are evolving during your transition to college. And if you don’t end up liking it, there’s no harm in that.
- Get involved in your residence hall! The people in your dorm will probably be the people you see the most and spend the most time with, so get to know them sooner rather than later (and yes, this means more people than just your roommate).
- Talk to people in your classes! This is probably the biggest tip I have for making new friends (who also double as study partners the night before a big exam or when you’re confused about homework).
- Don’t turn down cool opportunities! It’s extremely important to take as many opportunities as you can get, to figure out what path you want to go down for the next four years at WVU. But remember…
- It’s okay to say no sometimes. This is something I struggled with during my first semester. Don’t overload yourself with commitments, or you’ll get behind on your schoolwork, responsibilities for clubs, and social life. This is not a fun situation to be in, and you’ll only stress yourself out more.
- Find a balance. Yes, you should study for that test you have next week, but it’s okay to spend some time with your friends as a reward and to de-stress in preparation for the exam. As President Gee always says, at WVU, we “work hard, play hard.”
- Cherish your time as a freshman. As cheesy as it sounds, your first year will be over before you know it. Slow down, take a breath, look around, and smell the roses. You’ll want to remember the feelings of all of these firsts down the road. You’re in a good place.
- Remember that someone at WVU is always here for you. Whether it’s a professor, student organization officer, classmate, RA, or a stranger, there will always be someone at WVU who cares about your health, safety, and wellbeing. Don’t be afraid to reach out to talk to someone for any reason, and contact the Carruth Center is you’re in need of mental health counseling.
If you have any questions or concerns about the majors, programs, or organizations discussed in this post, or just want to chat about the School of Medicine, IMMB, WVU, or college life in general, please feel free to contact me below!
Emma Swiger
Student Ambassador, School of Medicine Professional Programs
Immunology & Medical Microbiology
West Virginia University, Class of 2023
Email: eas0047@mix.wvu.edu
Instagram: @emmaswiger
Twitter: @EmmaSwiger