My first year at UNCW was a series of trials and errors. I had to find what worked for me and learn how to grow academically and professionally while still maintaining calm in my life. I found three main things that helped me advance my academic and professional career and three things I wish I had done to maintain a sense of calm in my life.
Three things I enjoyed doing
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- Groups relevant to my major
There is something for everyone on campus, and if you can’t find the group you want, you can start one yourself. Joining a group that focuses on an element of your major can help you build a community of like-minded people in similar courses that you can lean on. It also gives you the opportunity to connect with and develop a personal relationship with a faculty advisor. In addition to serving as an educational resource, they can offer insight into various opportunities on and off campus. Faculty advisors can also be a great choice for writing letters of recommendation for jobs, internships, and scholarships. For example, I learned about the combined bachelor’s/master’s program in English during a Sigma Tau Delta Honors Society meeting and was able to apply before the deadline; now I can earn a master’s degree faster. To find groups and organizations to join or become a member of, visit UNCW’s WaveLink.
2. Looking for internship opportunities
There’s an unspoken system when it comes to landing your dream job after graduation: a degree in your field allows you to apply for the jobs you’d like, being active in groups related to your field gets you an interview, and an internship helps you get the job. It’s never too early to start looking for internship opportunities to boost your resume and give you hands-on experience and skills that can help you in your future endeavors. You can do an internship on or off campus, meaning you have the option to do your internship where your classes are held, or you can work in the very buildings where you may one day have a career. Remote internships are another option that’s growing in popularity; you can work virtually with faculty or an out-of-state organization and make contacts in the field. UNCW specifically encourages paid internships for its students and offers resources to connect students with internships here.
3. Connected with the faculty
While it may seem daunting or burdensome to make the effort and build relationships with faculty members in and outside of class, it will benefit you in your academic career. They can connect you with various opportunities, advocate for you on a personal level with other faculty members, and write excellent letters of recommendation for you. For example, my current internship came about because a faculty member listed me as a potential candidate for a fellow faculty member’s project he was working on. You can easily connect with faculty members in class by answering and asking questions, and you can also connect with them outside of class by attending their office hours and speaking to them at their department’s events.
Three things I would have liked to do
- Established a strong social group
Despite having a great roommate and joining several discipline-specific groups, I often felt lonely during my first year at UNCW. Although I knew many people with whom I had positive relationships, I rarely interacted with them outside of academic topics and spaces. I created an academic community, but not a social one where I could de-stress and make connections outside of the academic and professional worlds. Students can easily avoid this by inviting a group of friends to a cafe on campus, attending an ACE event that shows movies and various forms of entertainment, or attending a game of UNCW’s sports teams.
2. Time for hobbies purely for pleasure
Sometimes college life can feel like a rat race to achieve as much as possible and outperform others academically so you have the best chance on future applications. However, this can often leave students feeling drained, exhausted, and unmotivated. Taking the time to relax, reconnect, and remember what you love to do is just as important to future well-being as academic achievement. Even taking 20 to 30 minutes in the evening to turn off your school email notifications, turn on your favorite show, and work on a craft or hobby can help relieve stress and prepare you for the school day ahead.
3. Found a third place
Often times, people go back and forth between two places: home (i.e., dorm room) and work (i.e., classes). This can lead to a feeling of isolation, lack of community, and monotony that can easily be remedied by finding a third place or going somewhere and spending time that isn’t your dorm room or classes. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to find a third place on campus, such as the library, one of the numerous cafes, and the many outdoor spaces. There are also places off campus to relax, such as the Wilmington boardwalk, Old Town Wilmington for a ghost walk, downtown, Airlie Gardens, and the beach.
There is no right or wrong way to experience college life, but if you take steps to connect with others, develop professionally, and take care of your mental health, your satisfaction while studying at UNCW will increase.
