Insight on the first week of class and what you can do to get a head start into Wolfpack Welcome Week.
Photo by Sarah Cochran
By Sophia Buckner
It’s your first week of college. You have just spent your entire summer mentally preparing yourself for this stressful, yet exciting time. With this new experience also comes new people, geography and expectations that can make this first week a bit overwhelming. Even though everyone’s first week is different, here is my expertise and advice to help give you a jump start on the first out of many amazing weeks here at NC State.
Wolfpack Welcome Week is an absolute staple and long-lasting tradition here at NC State. With over 150 activities and events, it’s a great outreach opportunity for new incoming first-year students.
I highly recommend downloading the NC State University Guides App on your phone. This app gives you information about what is happening around campus for this week, such as what time events are and where to find them.
Here is also a list of signature events that will be happening during this week!
- Talley Takeover (August 17 — 8:00 p.m. – 11:59 p.m. Talley Student Union)
- This event turns Tally Student Union into the ultimate fun zone. You can participate in activities like trivia, karaoke and many other games and giveaways.
- RecFest (August 18 — 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Miller Fields)
- NCSU’s Wellness and Recreation Center always does an amazing job at making sure there are activities you can enjoy around campus. RecFest is a perfect way to interact with club sports and get information about how to join. There’s also more food and giveaways that you don’t want to miss.
- New Student Convocation (August 18 — 3 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Reynolds Coliseum)
- Gather into Reynolds Coliseum and bring out your WolfPack school spirit that will make a core memory for your class of 2028. There will be speakers from our amazing faculty and staff and a class of 2028 photo that will be taken as well.
- Student Media Open House (August 19 — 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
- Learn more about NC State Student Media at our Open House! Meet us on Harris Field in front of Witherspoon Student Center and then come up to our offices on the third floor. You do not have to stay the whole time — drop in whenever!
- Black Students Board’s Back 2 School Jam REVIBE (August 19 — 4:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Talley Student Union, State Ballroom)
- Come see some amazing performances by student organizations. This is a way to get connected with the resources that are available to students of color and connect with many clubs and organizations.
- Respect the Pack (August 22 — 6 p.m. Talley Student Union)
- This is a Student Government event that highlights the equity and inclusion that our pack is committed to following here on campus.
- Student Involvement Fair (August 23 — 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Stafford Commons)
- NC State has over 700 organizations and clubs to join. This gives you a wide variety of hobbies, sports, arts and much more that can fulfill your interests. If you want to find more information about what clubs NC State offers, go to https://getinvolved.ncsu.edu/Organizations
- This event is also a great way to meet your faculty and staff members!
- Moonlight Howl and Run (August 22 — 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. start at Memorial Bell Tower and finish at Stafford Commons)
- A great way to explore the beautiful campus grounds. You can walk or run this 1.3 mile adventure. You will have to register for this event in advance.
- Packapalooza (August 24 — 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Hillsborough St.)
- This event is a highlight of NC State traditions. With over 85,000 people, 500 booths and 50 organizations, I can guarantee you will have a great time. Packapalooza also always has a musical headliner perform which for this year will be The Rescues. While this event concludes WolfPack Welcome Week, it also begins an exciting first week of classes!
DO NOT just stay in your dorm this week and don’t be nervous to get out and explore some of these events. This is a great opportunity to learn about college life, get some cool free NC State merch and formally put yourself out there in the Wolfpack community.
As for my advice for your first week of class, there are many helpful things you can do to make a big difference in your experience. Some social media pages that could be helpful for incoming students are NCSU 2028 class on Snapchat and @ncstate, @nc.state.2028 and @ncsu.roomme on Instagram. Not only are these accounts great for keeping up with campus news, they’re also a fun way to connect with other people in and out of your year! Of course, connections don’t all happen online; when starting your first classes, don’t be afraid to talk to people you sit next to. And, to both cement the classmate bond and minimize the stress of trying to find a new seat every class, try to continue sitting there the entire semester. This could result in long-term friendships with some fellow peers. In that same vein, introduce yourself to professors so that you can build a classroom relationship with them. Many professors are quite literally waiting for students to show up to their office hours, even if it’s just to chat.
If your main worry is getting lost, I got you. NC State is a large, winding campus, and it’s okay to feel intimidated by the complex directions a map may give you. I felt that pre-walking my class schedule helped me evaluate when I need to start walking to class, finding a bus and other things that will assure you can get to class right on time. Plus, it never hurts to pre-map where in each building your classrooms are. Some of the buildings have confusing layouts where the second floor is street level or on your schedule the room numbers have a zero in front of it while the numbers on the room don’t. It’s helpful to already know where to go and become more familiar with the campus.
This first week will be filled with many amazing memories that you can keep with you as you continue through your college journey. Keep in mind that everyone is in the same boat as you and wants just as badly to meet new people!