Page 36 - 2015 UConn Student Activities Involvement Magazine

Did you come from a regional campus?
Emmanuel Effah
Graduation year: 2016
Majors: Political Science & History
How I got involved: Living on campus sure is amazing. The
campus was so huge that when I first got here, a day or two
early through the Student Support program, my roommate, who
I knew from the regional campus had to help me get around.
The classroom sizes and locations sure were different. I went
from a small classroom with roughly about 20 to 40 student
in class and 120 in lecture to over 300 students in lectures.
One thing that I noticed was that there were more students in
Storrs (18,000) than the regional campus (1,000) I came from.
At first I thought it will be easier to make friends just because
there are so many people here, but it doesn’t mean it can be
easy. Luckily, I got to meet new people in my building and in
class and they were also able to introduce me to other people.
During the first semester, I used to stay in my dorm all the time
and not go out the majority of the time. I just went from class to school what my interests were and the student government at
the dining hall and then to my room. I rarely went to any events
on campus. I stayed in my room so much that I was getting fed
up with myself. So, in the last couple weeks of the semester I
went to the movies every Friday night. My other friend, whom I
came to Storrs with, also encouraged me to apply for jobs on
campus. I applied to over 15 jobs. I got lucky enough to get
three jobs interviews, with one of them being Late Night. My
co-workers were very friendly and we worked great together
as a team. During my second semester on Friday and Saturday
nights I came to the Student Union to work. I got to meet new
people and I was able to get out of my dorm room. Before
getting a job at Late Night I used to be nervous standing in
front of people. I always had a hard time giving presentations
in class. Thanks to Late Night, I was able to reduce my
shyness tremendously because I had to stand in front of
hundreds of people for work. Now I have more confidence to
talk in front of people without much hesitation.
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
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.