The leaves are beginning to change color, the students are arriving back to campus, and there are only days left until homework begins again. Luckily, there are different ways to get the most out of your first month back on campus! Here at UW-Whitewater we have lots of events going on that can help you feel more connected to campus and feel less homesick.

 

  • Hawk Fest: Hawk Fest is being held on September 2 from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM in UW-W Parking Lot 2 (between the CA and Laurentide Hall). Incoming students can go to this fair to learn more about the different departments on campus as well as different businesses around the community! P.S: There is normally free things given away at this event! If the weather is poor, then the event will be taken inside the Williams Center.

 

  • The annual UW-Whitewater fall Involvement Fair was held on the UC North Mall on campus on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. The approximately 130 active student organizations on campus share information about themselves and give away candy and other items. A free tye dye workshop was also on site. (UW-Whitewater photo/Craig Schreiner)

    Involvement Fair: Getting involved on campus is one of the best ways to feel more at-home in Whitewater. The Fall Involvement Fair is being held on September 11 from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM! Check out the many student organizations available to join and you can even walk away with some free stuff!

 

  • Warhawk Concert Series: UW-Whitewater holds a free concert series every year to welcome students back to campus. This year the kickoff is Jesse McCartney on September 7 at noon! This is a fun way to kick off the start of the school year, and there is a wide range of music available throughout the series. You can see the Eddie Butts Band on October 5, and the Ethan Bell Band on October 12! See all of them in UW-W Parking Lot 11!

 

Events #intheUC: Every week there are multiple events held in the UC; with most either being free or costing very little. They are a great way to get out of the res halls and hang out with your new friends or hall-mates!

 

  • UC Movies: Every Wednesday through Saturday night there is a new Blockbuster film played in Summers Auditorium. The best part is they only cost $1 with your HawkCard! You can even invite your family and friends from home and only pay $3 if they don’t have a HawkCard! Purple Points are also accepted, so you don’t even need to bring cash! Check uww.edu/uc for the movie lineup! There are also different musicians, comedians, and hypnotists brought to the Down Under every Thursday night for free!

 

  • Roberta’s Art Gallery: One of the most unique parts about the UC is that there is an art gallery inside! Roberta’s Art Gallery has various exhibits up year-round, but also have various workshops available for students! All of their workshops are free, and the first one is their Tie-Dye Workshop at the Fall Involvement Fair!

 

  • Warhawk Alley: There are only a couple of universities that are lucky enough to have a bowling alley on campus, and UW-Whitewater is one of them! You can go down any day of the week to play a game of bowling or billiards, and they even have yard games, video games, and board games available to be checked out! The first week of class is All-Access Week where you can bowl or play billiards for free! There are also weekly specials available to get some discounts the rest of the year!

 

  • Campus Calendar or Connect UWW: One of the easiest ways to see what is happening on campus is to use either the Campus Calendar or Connect! You can access the calendar at https://mastercal.uww.edu/mastercalendar/MasterCalendar.aspx. On the right side of the webpage is a way to filter what calendars you want to see. All UC events are posted on here and many other departments use this to post events! You can also use Connect which is found at https://uww.campuslabs.com/engage/. Connect is used by many student organizations to post about meetings, and to get to know them a little more! The UC events are also posted on this site! Both sites are very useful to know what is going on on campus!

 

  • Social Media: Most departments and student organizations have some form of social media available. You can get event updates, reminders, and find out more about them on their social media accounts. The UC can be found by searching UW-Whitewater University Center or UC_UWW!

 

  • UC’s 60thAnniversary: This year the UC is celebrating their 60thAnniversary! The first week of October there will be many free events and giveaways going on in celebration and all students are invited! Check http://www.uww.edu/uc/things-to-do/uc-60thfor the full lineup and look out for contests on our social media!

 

  • Student Employment: One of the best ways to get involved on campus is to get an on-campus job! You can check for any openings on Handshake; you just need to filter to being on-campus. Working in the UC has provided me a lot of new friends and opportunities for growth that I would not have had otherwise. You can also gain a lot of valuable experience by working on campus as well as a lot of flexibility around classes and student organizations. You can find Handshake at https://uww.joinhandshake.com/login.

 

  • Intramural/Club Sports: A very easy and casual way to meet new people on campus is by forming an Intramural Sports team or tryout for a Club Sports team! Some of your teammates may have common interests to you and become lifelong friends! You can find what sports are available and more information at https://www.uww.edu/recsports/intramural-sports!

 

  • Football Games: As a UW-Whitewater student you can gain free access into any sporting event on campus with your HawkCard. Attending the Warhawk Football games is a good way to spend time with your friends and feel a part of the campus community! Get a group of friends or hall-mates together and pick a home game to attend! You can find their fall schedule at https://uwwsports.com/schedule.aspx?path=football.

 

There is a common theme to these suggestions, and that is getting outside of your comfort zone and just being social. You don’t need to try everything on this list, but it is a good start to making the most out of your time at UW-Whitewater! Let us know what other suggestions you have for students in the comments!