{"id":7138,"date":"2021-11-12T17:33:04","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T23:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=7138"},"modified":"2021-11-12T17:33:04","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T23:33:04","slug":"starting-off-right-uw-oshkosh-first-year-students-prepped-for-success","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/starting-off-right-uw-oshkosh-first-year-students-prepped-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting off right: UW Oshkosh first-year students prepped for success"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo
UWO first-year student Emma Arent (left), of Kimberly, joined a UW Oshkosh Titan Take Off adventure retreat to Devil\u2019s Lake State Park to get to know other students better even before her first semester started in September.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rolling out the welcome mat with special orientation programs and relationship-building activities for new and returning students at the start of each academic year is a hallmark of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh\u2019s focus on student success.<\/p>\n

For UW Oshkosh\u2019s first-year class of nearly 2,400\u2014many of whom graduated high school amid the chaos of the ongoing pandemic\u2014the importance of getting off to a strong start was even more important than ever this fall.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a responsibility to set every student up for success in the best way possible. The access to education mission of UWO is nothing if it is not paired with success,\u201d said Art Munin, interim vice chancellor of student affairs and dean of students. \u201cThat is why we front-load so much into the start of fall. Everything from residence hall move-in to orientation and welcome week is intentionally designed to welcome students, help them feel part of this community, share our wide array of support resources and get them moving in a positive direction as they start their classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

First-year students Emma Arent of Kimberly, Austin Dixon of Wauwatosa and Molly Johnson of Fond du Lac have all taken advantage of some of these key resources as they settled into college life at UWO.<\/p>\n

Scaling new heights<\/strong><\/h3>\n

With a plan in mind to study nursing in college, Arent took rigorous science classes at Kimberly High School, as well as four money-saving Cooperative Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) courses for college credit with UWO. She also ran track and cross country and took part in a wide variety of clubs.<\/p>\n

Arent knew of UWO\u2019s reputation for a quality nursing program. She also knew she didn\u2019t want to go too far away from home for college. An in-person tour of the Oshkosh campus sealed the deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really liked the campus, and I really liked the size,\u201d she said. \u201cMy tour guide just happened to be a nursing student. It was really good to talk to somebody who knew about the college.\u201d<\/p>\n

During her Titan Takeoff orientation, Arent learned about the opportunity to go on an adventure retreat with other incoming students in August to get a head start on making friends and getting to know faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

Arent and her twin sister, Paige, who also was starting her journey at UWO, jumped at the opportunity to go hiking, rock climbing and rappelling on a trip to Devil\u2019s Lake State Park with their friends and soon-to-be roommates.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love all the outdoorsy stuff,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a good way to get to know people better, which was fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the semester began, Arent took advantage of another opportunity to get off to a good start. At the Taste of UW Oshkosh and Student Involvement Fair she learned about volunteer opportunities and will soon be putting in service hours required for her nursing program with the Cabinet food pantry for students located in Reeve Union..<\/span><\/p>\n

Tapping into support<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As a student at Wauwatosa East High School, Austin Dixon also was quite familiar with UWO since his parents are alumni and he had taken part in PreCollege programs in middle and high school to become familiar with the college experience and explore career options.<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard my mom and dad talk about college and I wondered about what it would be like,\u201d Dixon said.<\/p>\n

In June and July, he took part in UWO\u2019s intensive Titan Advantage Program (TAP) to provide incoming first-year students with the secrets to success through individualized instruction and support. To get around campus, he took advantage of another opportunity\u2014free bike rental from the Outdoor Adventure Center at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fun to go to classes in the summer. I learned how to navigate campus and I learned some study skills,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cIt helped me get better acclimated to college and to learn how to deal with some of the worries and stressors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The self-described introvert carried those lessons and even a few friends from TAP into the fall semester.<\/p>\n

Dixon also turned his familiarity with the SRWC into a student job at the front desk greeting other students and answering the phone. As he continues to settle in, he is considering a major in communications or radio TV film.<\/p>\n

Finding a new way<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As a first-generation college student, Molly Johnson stepped onto the Fond du Lac campus in September looking for a place to reset.<\/p>\n

Johnson struggled a bit in high school, especially in math. She wasn\u2019t very involved in extracurricular activities, although she was on the volleyball and track teams her freshman and sophomore years at Fond du Lac High School. She also went to some Key Club meetings but did not take part regularly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always wanted to be more involved, but there was so little time and I never felt very comfortable at my big high school,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

As she began to consider her options after high school, a friend\u2019s mother shared her positive experiences at UWO\u2019s Fond du Lac campus, where the student\u2013to-faculty\/staff ratio is low.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the small campus and the one-on-one attention that can help you succeed,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n

The uncertainty of the pandemic also played a part as Johnson thought saving money by living at home was a good idea, especially since she wasn\u2019t sure if she would end up having to switch to online classes if she moved away for school.<\/p>\n

Last May, Johnson took a virtual tour of the campus and then attended an open house in August. She enjoyed getting to know her future classmates and all the resources offered for support.<\/p>\n

Even before the first day of classes, she was looking into joining student government and applied for and got the position of records director. Then at the Student Involvement Fair in September, Johnson learned about the Multicultural Club and soon became president of that student organization.<\/p>\n

So far her classes are going well and although she hasn\u2019t needed any extra help, she feels a sense of security just knowing tutoring services are readily available. She has set her sights on earning an associate degree as a stepping stone to a bachelor\u2019s degree, perhaps in criminology.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone looking at my grades in high school would likely say, \u2018How would she be successful in college?\u2019\u201d Johnson said. \u201cBut UWO is a place I can be the person I always wanted to be. It\u2019s putting me on the right path to be the best version of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rolling out the welcome mat with special orientation programs and relationship-building activities for new and returning students at the start of each academic year is a hallmark of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh\u2019s focus on student success. For UW Oshkosh\u2019s first-year class of nearly 2,400\u2014many of whom graduated high school amid the chaos of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":7140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[94],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-7138","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-oshkosh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/7138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=7138"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=7138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}