As a transfer student and only having been at UNCW for 2 short years, I decided to take advantage of my time here at the dub and be as involved as much as I could. I’m not going to list out every single thing you should do during your time at UNCW because everyone is different and each one of you will have different goals within your college career. But what I am going to tell you to do is to be involved on campus and within your community as much as you can!
Volunteering at the Azalea Festival as a part of my Spring 2018 internship at CFCC
If you want to join a club or an organization on campus, DO IT. If you want to volunteer at the Azalea Festival or complete an internship (or a couple), then DO IT. Don’t stick with things that make you comfortable. Do what will benefit you in the long run! This is your time to learn and grow. You’re young and you will make mistakes. Mistakes will only make you wiser. Don’t be afraid to speak up in class or in a group project (trust me, you’ll have plenty of group projects if you haven’t already). Because I was that girl. I was that girl who was afraid of what others thought about me or if I might say something dumb in class.
Photo from my Fall 2017 internship at Wilmington Design Company
Don’t forget to balance your life. Work hard, play hard. Enjoy the beach life but also remember to explore the historic downtown Wilmington. Visit the museums and learn a little (outside of school). Eat at local restaurants, like Tower 7 or Fork ‘N’ Cork. Go paddle boarding at Wrightsville Beach and visit the Aquarium at Fort Fisher. Wilmington has a lot to offer and taking advantage of UNCW and the city itself will get you far.
Photo from the Conference on Applied Learning in Higher Education (CALHE) where I was one of several student coordinators
Lastly, don’t forget to network along the way! Make connections anywhere you can. Don’t be afraid to talk to a complete stranger because you never know who that stranger might be… 😉
Make an impact on UNCW, Wilmington and your future!
Until next time…UNC-DUB!
Emily Holt
IMC Hawks Blog 