VCU news

By Tom Gresham

When Rhonda Moton first arrived on the VCU campus to start her freshman year, she was still unsure about her college decision. She had cold feet, wondering if perhaps she had made a mistake choosing VCU, and she instinctively was resentful of the university and her new surroundings. Then, during Welcome Week, the weeklong series of events that opens the academic year, Moton attended the SOVO Fair, a massive annual event in which more than 500 student organizations and dozens of community and service organizations gather in the Siegel Center to showcase their work for potential new members and volunteers.

The outgoing Moton, who had been deeply involved in service efforts in high school, was thunderstruck at the volume and variety of options as she waded through the rows of booths. She was charmed by the like-minded students and their obvious enthusiasm for their outreach efforts. She felt comfortable and energized. Suddenly, Moton’s outlook on her new home was altered, and her vision of the next four years transformed into something full of promise.

“That was the point where things changed for me, and I knew that I’d made the right choice,” Moton said.

The transition from high school to college can seem daunting and dizzying. Feeling overwhelmed by the differences in the two educational phases is a common reaction. Moton, for instance, remembers her shock when she discovered class texts would not simply be distributed by her teachers. However, VCU offers a number of ways for new students to adapt and make sense of it all.

Welcome Week can serve as an ideal chance to hit the ground running. The series of events, which runs from Aug. 17 to Aug. 25 this year, includes a mixture of educational events and social activities that allow newcomers to find their footing. Highlights include a block party, New Student Convocation, the Ram Spirit Walk and a free concert. A complete list of events can be found at http://www.welcomeweek.vcu.edu/.

Faith Wilkerson, interim director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, is a co-chair of Welcome Week this year. She said the week provides a thorough introduction to the university – academics, residential life, off-campus opportunities, wellness, dining, social organizations – but the breadth of it shouldn’t create stress. Students, she said, are not expected to absorb it all right away.

“Just take it day by day, pick up a bit at a time,” Wilkerson said. “You don’t have to learn everything at once.”

“Just take it day by day, pick up a bit at a time. You don’t have to learn everything at once.”

Wilkerson recommends that new students link up with fellow first-years to explore VCU together. For instance, freshmen often travel to Welcome Week events with roommates and hallmates from their dormitory. It allows them to be part a small group within the large university. Similarly, it can be helpful for new students to seek out activities and events sponsored by academic programs or student organizations. The scope of VCU starts to seem more manageable as a student finds a social or academic niche, Wilkerson said, even if it’s only a temporary one that will be set aside as interests change and new opportunities are discovered.

And there’s no shame in not knowing something, Wilkerson said. Faculty and staff can answer questions. She points to resident advisers as savvy initial contacts who can point first-years in the right direction.

“We’re all here to help,” Wilkerson said.

On Aug. 22, in the midst of Welcome Week, classes begin for the fall semester. Moton said first-years should be wary of falling into the trap of easing into their academic lives. It can be tricky, particularly because instead of the largely uninterrupted class schedule common in high school, college class days are marked with expanses of enticing free time. Those gaps of freedom, Moton said, are opportunities to be taken seriously right from the first week of classes.

“Classes are harder, and you’ve got to be ready to study a lot more,” Moton said. “Don’t fall behind or just be happy keeping up (with your classwork). Always try to get ahead.”

A critical resource for meeting that goal for Moton has been the Campus Learning Center in the University College, the central home for university-wide programs and resources that help students’ undergraduate experience. University College provides academic advising, tutoring, writing assistance, group study sessions, orientation programs and introductory courses.

Moton, who is pursuing a pre-medicine concentration with majors in biology and psychology and a minor in chemistry, said she uses the Campus Learning Center as a resource even when she feels confident about a class. The center offers appointment tutoring, drop-in tutoring and supplemental instruction.

“They’re nice and friendly and great to work with,” she said.

Moton said looking for ways to get involved from the outset set the tone for her VCU experience. In addition to her academic pursuits, she’s become involved in the Intercultural Festival, the Delta Epsilon Mu fraternity, the Activities Programming Board, the Homecoming Committee, the Pre-Med Society, Emerging Healthcare Leaders and the Student Research Organization.

The first weeks on campus ultimately are only a blip in time in a college tenure, but they can have a lasting impact – if they are embraced.

“You’ve got to trust yourself and be willing to put yourself out there,” Moton said. “You don’t want to miss out on something.”