Page 37 - 2016 Involvement Magazine Web
P. 37
Ed Masse Are you a returning adult student?
Graduation year: 2017 Most students come to UConn right after high school. If you
Major: Chinese choose to return later in life, you might feel invisible. You don’t
have to! Think about taking your friends and family members
How I got involved: When I first came to UConn I struggled with to the art, music, theater, or athletic events. Not only will you
the increased workload compared to the community college have fun, but you can connect your new college life with your
I came from. Since I transferred in the spring semester, I didn’t established life! When it comes to student organizations, be
have any friends at first. I didn’t start college with the same assertive about your needs so that you can stay involved and
big group of freshmen together like everyone else, and it didn’t make a difference. Many of our groups meet late at night when
help I started halfway through the academic year. I’m a people you might not be around. If you have to miss meetings, ask to
person, so I had a lot of friends at my community college. When meet with the president for coffee to catch up on what you missed.
I transferred to UConn I felt like a tiny fish in a giant pond. Perhaps you can chair a committee of people who can meet at a
I needed a sense of community for support, so I joined the different time.
Asian American Cultural Center. They immediately welcomed
me with open arms and taught me a lot about how the campus Franchesca Kuhney
works and how to be efficient with your time. Now I have friends
to study with, or to help me handle the challenges of college Graduation year: 2017
life. The Asian American Cultural Center also has new student Major: Psychology
mentoring programs as well as ways to easily get involved and How I got involved: When I was fourteen I lost my father in
be part of a community. I found that the best resource for an accident. I struggled for the majority of high school with
struggling to balance your workload is to have a community for depression and anxiety, and my road to recovery was a long one.
support. Without my community at UConn I would still feel lost. But by the time I graduated, I was confident and excited about
coming to UConn. Surprisingly, my first semester, I actually felt
Do you need to work to support yourself in college? lost, and honestly, kind of alone, especially being from out of
state. I was overwhelmed by all the possibilities and I wasn’t
It can be hard to get involved when you have to support yourself. sure how to take advantage of them. And soon, I started to feel
But working is a type of involvement. Working can help you gain the familiar sadness setting in again. I was already a part of
valuable teamwork and time management skills, and it shows other organizations like the Leadership Learning Community
folks that you mean business about your education. Some jobs and undergraduate research, but I felt like I needed a different
on campus have opportunities for students to “move up” and kind of support system. So at the following semester’s
take on leadership roles. You should also enjoy life as a Husky Involvement Fair, I joined the Active Minds club, an organization
by going to sporting and cultural events, and perhaps you can rooted in spreading awareness about mental health. And even
even find time to join a student organization. But don’t ever though it’s not a “support” group, per se, that’s exactly what
think that working means you aren’t getting as much as you I got from it. I was surrounded by people I could relate to and
can out of your education. I felt a sense of security and comfort that gave me the
confidence to explore other things across campus.
Are you a LGBTQQIAA student? Advice for students new to the UConn, Storrs campus: Adjusting
to college can take some time; patience is key. Give yourself
Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual. Transgender. Queer. Questioning. Intersex. time to explore new things and find something that fits. Try
Asexual. Ally. It can be difficult coming to a place where you don’t to remember that everyone’s college experience is unique,
know who to trust. But it can be liberating at UConn because so don’t compare yours to anyone else. Don’t feel rushed in
there are several student organizations for LGBTQQIAA students deciding what you want to do. It might not happen in one day,
and many supportive faculty and staff. For more information on but it’ll happen, and I promise it will have been worth the wait!
these groups, check out the student organization data base at
uconntact.uconn.edu. One of your first stops on campus needs to Advice from Student Experts | Special Topics 35
be the Rainbow Center (4th floor, Student Union), where there are
regularly scheduled social, educational and advocacy programs.
