Page 36 - 2016 Involvement Magazine Web

Did you come from a regional campus?
Carren Jepchumba
Graduation year: 2018
Majors: Pharmacy
How I got involved: As an out-of-state student, and a freshman,
the best decisions that I made were to live in the Pharmacy
Learning Community and apply to the Louis Stokes Alliances
for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program because this
is where I found out about Four Arrows which is part of the
Leadership Office in Student Activities. After participating in
a challenge course with Four Arrows, I learned that they had
student staff, decided to apply for a facilitator position, and
have been successfully working for them ever since. My second
semester in my sophomore year was by far the hardest time for
me at UConn as I went through a situation that I did not know
how handle and it took a long time before I realized how much it
was affecting me personally and academically. I didn’t realize
that all I needed was a safe space to talk about my situation.
Four Arrows gave me that space. Four Arrows helped me set
personal and academic goals, giving me something to strive for
even when I wanted to give up. I would not have been recently
accepted into the School of Pharmacy had it not been for the
constant support from Four Arrows along with friends from other
organizations I am involved with. The best part about Four
Arrows is that there is an understanding that staff are students
first and they want you to leave UConn as a well-rounded
individual, which means being encouraged to enjoy your college
experience and take part in other opportunities.
Advice for students new to the UConn, Storrs campus: Dare to
step out of your comfort zone. Try to take elective courses
that you don’t think you would like or get involved in research
outside your major. If you have friends from high school at
UConn, try to get to know people outside of your friend group.
There are over 600 groups to get involved with - explore a few
before you settle. Lastly, be kind to everyone because UConn is
smaller than you think.
Are you a veteran?
It can be a huge transition from the formality of military life to
spontaneous and laid back college life. There are other students
who are experiencing what you are. Meet like-minded individuals
in our Veterans Student Organization. For more information about
Veterans Resources visit veterans.uconn.edu.
34 Advice from Student Experts | Special Topics
Welcome, Huskies, to the Storrs campus! It can be hard to feel
like you are a new Husky when really you have been a Husky for at
least a couple of years! So, now that you are here with us, you can
continue participating in the things that you were involved with at
your regional campus or start fresh and try out new things. Check
out our student organization database at uconntact.uconn.edu.
Jump right in so you don’t miss anything!
Are you a transfer student?
It’s not easy being an experienced college student, but also
feeling like a first year student on campus. Depending on where
you transferred from, Storrs can feel small and cozy or large and
overwhelming. One way to get off to a good start is to take an FYE
class designed just for transfer students. It will be comforting
to be with people who are experiencing the same things you are.
Beyond that, just jump in to campus life! Start a study group with
people in your major, join a student organization, and get to some
athletic events. You’ll be an experienced Husky in no time.
Rachel Conboy
Graduation year: 2016
Majors: Political Science & History
How I got involved: When I entered college I was fortunate
to come to UConn with a strong group of friends from home,
although I never completely lost that nervous thought of what
I would do if I had to deal with homophobia. I knew from high
school what my interests were and the student government at
UConn was one organization that offered a large spectrum of
possibilities. When I first entered the organization, I saw how
open members were about their sexual orientation. This
experience made me appreciate our Student Government more
than ever. I’m proud now to be the president of the organization
which gave me such a warm welcome, and I hope to offer the
same welcome to all UConn students!
Advice for students new to the UConn, Storrs campus: You are
going to have a lot of decisions to make within the first few
weeks of school. They range between building friendships, what
to do on weekends, and what to get involved with. I’d say don’t
limit yourself, be open to everyone and all new experiences.
There is no other time in your life where you will have all these
opportunities presented to you at once. Don’t let anything hold
you back from making the most of these 4 (or more) years.