Meet Josh Jensen. Josh is a freshman studying Industrial Engineering at the U of A from Austin, Texas. In addition to serving as a Parent Ambassador, he is also a R.O.C.K. Camp Mentor and a member of the Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity here on campus. Even though the University of Arkansas is 8 hours away from home, he can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Meet Libby Sample. Libby is a freshman Political Science and International Studies major from Dallas, Texas. She is a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority through which she works with Peace at Home Women and Children’s Shelter. Libby loves to explore Fayetteville and North West Arkansas in her free time.
As a freshmen, your student is required to live on campus (unless they have special permission from the school); but, don’t think of it as a requirement, think of it as an amazing way for them to meet new people and truly become a razorback. Now I know you might have heard some scary stories of dorm life but don’t believe everything you hear. Take it from us, Libby and I have both lived on campus and even though we probably had very different experiences, we both agree that we had a fun year because of it.
No matter what you might have heard, living on campus definitely has it perks. For example, your student doesn’t need to wake up extra early and hop in their car to get to campus for class. I, numerous times, have rolled out of bed 10 minutes before class started and still got there on time.
Living in a dorm is an incredible way to make friends. Your student may be coming to school without a single friend, and that can be really scary. However, living in such close quarters with other people is the perfect environment to really bond with others. Almost everyone is going through the same things: moving away from home for the first time, not knowing many people that they are now going to school with, and different expectations from professors than they were given by high school teachers. It makes it a lot easier to make a friend when you relate to each other. Although making friends on a large campus can seem daunting, your student will find that if they keep an open mind and stay friendly, they will find their group.
One concern many people have about living on campus is whether or not their student needs a car. While it is definitely nice to have one, it is not necessary. Living in a dorm will give your student the ability to walk to class, and anywhere on campus, every day. On campus we have a selection of places to eat other than dining halls, such as Chick-Fil-A, Au Bon Pain, Slims Chicken, Einstein’s, Starbucks and more. There is also a Walmart on campus as well as a Bold Dental, Enrich Salon and a First Security Bank. Should your student need to leave campus, there is a bus system called Razorback Transit which drives all over Northwest Arkansas and is free to everyone. You can find out where all the buses go as well as their schedules on parking.uark.edu. It is also highly likely that your student will make friends with students that do have cars. Not having a car on campus is not an issue to worry about as it is completely possible for your student to get around without one.
Living on campus comes with so many resources. The University of Arkansas has a rec center called the HPER. It is available for use by all students enrolled in classes. It has a fitness center filled with exercise equipment, several basketball courts as well as an indoor pool and other facilities. There is a plethora of workout classes offered here as well as at the smaller UREC Fitness Center which is located in the student union. Another great resource is Mullins Library. It is an excellent place to study if your student isn’t a fan of doing work in their dorm. At the library you can check out study rooms using your student ID, access online databases, and use the printers. One of the best resources they offer is the Interlibrary Loan. This enables students to check out materials from libraries at other universities. Interlibrary Loan will have the requested material shipped or electronically sent to Mullins. They can simply return it as normal at Mullins and it will be shipped back.
Your student’s experience will definitely be memorable by any standard so wish them luck on their endeavors.
Woo Pig and Go Hogs!