Fall 2007

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Staying In The Know! It’s a student’s responsibility.

Jennifer Bell, Associate Director of Parents & Families Services

Did you know that NC State has over 400 student organizations? Did you know that students can spend their spring breaks volunteering for community service projects all over the world? Did you know that the Campus Cinema shows blockbuster movies every weekend? More importantly, does your student know all of this?

Sadly, many students seem to be unaware of all these wonderful opportunities. A senior responding to a recent survey said, “I enjoyed NC State. It is avery good school that creates wellrounded students. I found more things to do during my senior year than I did the first year I was here. I wish I knew more about the activities that went on around campus.”

Students need to be proactive to ensure they stay in the know about all the great things in which to get involved. This is especially important for students who live off campus. Students in the residence halls benefit from campus information being delivered practically to their doorstep. Students who live off campus must seek out the information. In either case, here are just a few effective strategies all students should use.

Read campus newspapers DAILY. Technician is NC State’s daily student newspaper that features information about many events and activities. The Nubian Message is a regular publication dedicated to African American culture and related events.

Get involved in a student organization. Student organizations are often the groups planning big events such as Homecoming and Pan Afrikan Festival. If students are active in an organithey have the inside scoop.

Go to the Student Handbook website regularly. www.ncsu.edu /for_students is a one-stop shop for daily, weekly, and monthly information about most student events and activities. Almost all departments maintain their own online activities calendars, too. Students should find their favorites, bookmark them, then visit the sites often.

Visit the NC State homepage. www.ncsu.edu is updated daily with important campus announcements and has links to many campus calendars.

Visit the student centers weekly. Talley and Witherspoon Student Centers are filled with posters, flyers, and brochures promoting events and activities. Plus, many student organizations plan pre-event activities and information tables to promote upcoming events.

Read posters, flyers, and table tents around campus. Most events and activities are advertised with posters in the residence halls, flyers around campus, and table tents in the dining halls. So much so, it is easy to become immune to them. Taking the time to stop and read or take a flyer can make a big difference.

Ask people. Word of mouth is still the most effective means of communication. A simple “What’s happening this weekend?” to faculty, staff, and students, especially Resident Advisors, can garner many possibilities.

Join email lists. The Student Body President sends a “State of the State” email every two weeks to students who subscribe to the HOWL (students. ncsu.edu/home/howl.php). Many departments and student organizations also send regular announcements to email lists. Of course, once a student joins a list, he/she should read the announcements that are posted.

Watch and listen to WolfBytes. Communication Technologies (ComTech) provides students who live on campus with a wall calendar that includes many activities. Additionally, detailed information about events is provided on WolfBytes TV and radio, the on-campus cable TV and on-line radio channels.

Go to events. Going to big events such as Wolfpack Welcome Week, Homecoming, Chocolate Festival, ARTS NC State, and the movies keeps students in the habit of staying in the know. Plus, big events often promote other upcoming events and activities.

When students call home and say, " There is nothing to do around here," remind them of some of the events and activities mentioned in this article and encourage them to take advantage of all the resources available to stay in the know. The next time students call, we want them to say “There is always something to do at NC State!”

* Americana
* Bulletin
* The Nubian Message
* First Year College Parents' newsletter
* The State of Living & Learning
* Technician