I’m so excited to welcome all our new first year students to UWM! Move
in starts on August 29th. I remember how excited I was to move out
of my parents’ home and to live on my own. Now that I’ve had a few years of
living in University Housing, I wanted to share some tips and ways to be
involved with you all!
First of all, have you contacted your roommates yet? You can log onto your housing page to find out your room assignment and who your
suitemates are. You can also contact them through the housing page. Don’t be
discouraged if there hasn’t been any communication though. I would personally
suggest looking on social media if you haven’t been able to contact your future
roomies. Have you checked out your class Facebook page? They’re likely a part
of that group too.
Do you have everything you need to live in a Residence Hall?
UWM has a few suggestions for what to bring, and also what NOT to bring. You
can find that here.
Make sure you review UWM’s Move-In Guide before arriving. It
explains policies, privacy, what to do on move-in day, and so much more.
So you’re all moved in. Now what?
Don’t just hang out in your room. This is your time to meet
new people and make new friends. UWM also has a To Do list you can look into for some things you may want to complete right away. Make sure you go to your first floor meeting with your RA.
You get to meet other students living in the same house as well as get to know
your RA.
This year, Panther Academic Welcome (PAW) is on Friday,
September 1st. This is a mandatory event for all first year
students. You will discuss the common read and academics. After that, you get
your class t-shirt, take the class photo, and get free food. It’s also a great
way to meet new people.
UWM has a ton of events planned. Check out your RA’s
postings on your floor. Fall Welcome is packed with welcome events (lots of
them have free food too). If you want a full schedule of those events click
here. My favorite Fall Welcome event is Pantherfest. The artists performing this year are
Kyle, Misterwives, and Kiiara. Be sure to grab your free ticket from August 30th
to September 8th in the Union. Remember you need your PanthercardID!
As you become more familiar with your new home, check out
UWM’s bucket list. There are also over 300 student organizations to get
involved in. If you need some extra spending money you could keep an eye out
for a campus job. You may consider becoming involved with SHAC or the council for your Residence Hall
I’m excited for you to experience UWM. It quickly becomes
home to us. I’ll see you guys around campus!
-Jessica
