Institutional Communications Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137 Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: (307) 766-2929 Email:cbaldwin@uwyo.edu
Find What You Need to Succeed
Published May 08, 2024
Students enjoy Half Acre’s bike night fitness class on Prexy’s Pasture.
Check out these amazing resources to help you thrive in all aspects of college life.
By Micaela Myers
Get Healthy
Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center: This state-of-the-art facility offers students
a wide variety of quality cardio and weight equipment; fitness classes; indoor cycling
and dance studios; basketball, volleyball, squash, badminton and racquetball courts;
an indoor track; a golf simulator; and more. The Wellness Center provides wholistic
wellness programming aimed at creating and supporting a culture of wellness. It also
provides Mental Health First Aid Training, substance education, athletic training,
and a relax-and-recharge space that features massage chairs and a RelaxSpace Wellness
Pod.
Outdoor Program: Laramie’s outstanding geographical location provides the opportunity
for an abundance of nearby outdoor recreation opportunities. The Outdoor Program offers
equipment rentals, leadership training, an indoor climbing and bouldering wall, a
bike library and much more.
Club and Intramural Sports: The Intramural Sports Program offers the campus community
the opportunity to participate in nearly 50 different sports. Intramural competition
is structured for various skill levels and is a fun way to stay active, meet friends
and compete. Club Sports are organized and directed for students by students. The
21 club sports teams compete against other intercollegiate clubs and have an emphasis
on student leadership and involvement.
Mental health: The University Counseling Center offers free counseling services and
crisis intervention to enrolled students. The Psychology Center provides affordable
quality mental health care and functions as a training center for the clinical psychology
doctoral program. Meanwhile, the Wellness Center offers a variety of mental health
workshops as well as kitty and puppy play dates.
Student Health Service: Enrolled students can access primary care, a walk-in clinic,
mental health care, sexual and reproductive care, immunizations and preventative care,
a pharmacy, a laboratory, and more.
Quinton Royle-Grimes and students from the Wyoming Motorsports team build a Formula-style
race car.
Get Involved
Recognized student organizations (RSOs): Hundreds of student organizations or clubs
offer you the chance to explore your interests, have fun and make friends. There are
organizations based on areas of study, honor societies, and many that focus on hobbies
and recreation.
Service, Leadership and Community Engagement: SLCE provides opportunities to volunteer
and to take part in conferences and alternative break trips, and offers leadership
training.
Associated Students of UW (ASUW): Students can run for student government or take
part in various councils.
Multicultural Affairs: Multicultural Affairs advocates alongside historically or currently
marginalized students. It offers programs and student involvement opportunities and
is home to the Poke Pride Center and the Multicultural Resource Center. Multicultural
Affairs also partners with other centers on campus, such as the Native American Education,
Research and Cultural Center.
Fraternity and Sorority Life: Students can choose from 15 fraternities and sororities.
First-Year Interest Groups and Living Learning Communities: These UW housing options
allow you to share classes with your neighbors and include fun activities based on
common interests.
Experiential learning: Consider taking part in education-abroad trips, internships
or undergraduate research. Contact UW’s Education Abroad office to learn more about
studying abroad.
Not sure where to start? Visit the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership at
uwyo.edu/csil.
Find Academic Success
Be proactive: One of the biggest differences between high school and college is the
number of schedule freedoms a student has. It is up to you to review and study course
materials and to pace yourself. Successful sophomores report spending 20+ hours per
week on coursework outside of class time.
Learn how you study best: Experiment with different note-taking and study strategies
to discover which will work best for you. Find where you study best and who you study
best with. Try to remove as many distractions as possible.
Treat college like a job: Plan out your days and your study times. Find the organizational
tools that work best for you, whether that’s a paper planner or digital. Set reminders
not just for due dates but also to begin assignments in advance.
Seek help early: In some college classes, your grade may be based mainly on a midterm
and a final. Therefore, if you find yourself struggling to grasp the concepts or are
not getting good grades on any early quizzes or assignments, seek help right away
utilizing the tips and resources here.
Tutoring: The STEP Tutor Center is UW’s primary tutoring center and offers free tutoring
in select classes. For online and distance students, TutorMe provides 24/7 online
tutoring in a wide range of subjects and classes.
Supplemental instruction: Some courses offer supplemental instruction, which is a
series of out-of-class study sessions led by a student who has successfully taken
the class before. It’s a great way to practice the material and work with other students
to learn the content.
Professor office hours: While it can seem intimidating, it’s an excellent idea to
stop by your professor’s office hours early in the semester. Introduce yourself and
ask any questions you have about the course or learn about their areas of research
and academic interest.
Center for Assistance with Statistics and Mathematics: Students can access free in-person
drop-in tutoring for mathematics or statistics help.
Student Virginia Herboldsheimer works with Writing Center Director Francesca King
in Coe Library.
Writing Center: Students can meet with a trained writing consultant to receive help
with any writing project at any stage of the process.
Disability Support Services: If you are managing a diagnosis or interested in accommodations
(e.g., testing, housing, ESA, alternative format, ASL, etc.), contact UW’s Disability
Support Services.
Student Success Services: Eligible first-generation students, students with limited
or low income, and students with disabilities can receive support services such as
tutoring, advising and more.
UW Libraries: You’ll find everything you need for studying and academic support at
UW Libraries. There’s a ton to explore, from study spots to computer labs and creation
spaces. Plus, librarians are available for personalized help, including after-hours
Librarian Chat. When you need a study break, check out popular reading, the coffee
shop and more!
Not sure where to start? Visit the Student Success and Graduation Hub located on the
main floor of Old Main (www.uwyo.edu/student-success) or talk to your Cowboy Coach
peer mentor.
Mange Your Money
Find resources: UW has partnered with iGrad Financial Wellness (uwyo.igrad.com) to
provide students with a platform to learn about a wide variety of financial topics.
Create a budget: Using the iGrad module or a budgeting app, create a budget. Note
how much money you have coming in (scholarships, financial aid, your family, work
income, etc.), then subtract your expenses (tuition, books, housing, food, etc.).
If you have funds left over after the essentials are covered, you can make a line-item
in your budget for “fun money” (eating out, entertainment, technology upgrades, etc.).
A good rule of thumb is to save 10 percent of what you have coming in for unforeseen
expenses, such as car repairs. Track every penny you spend, and reevaluate your budget
regularly.
Spend wisely. Don’t spend more than you have coming in, and look ahead at upcoming
expenses. Be a savvy shopper: Look for the best price and consider used or free items.
Save on food: If you live on campus, make sure you’re utilizing your meal plan or
downsize it. If you have a kitchen or microwave, making your food at home is much
less expensive than eating out. In addition, many UW events include free food, and
UW offers food-share pantries for those in need, including the main one in Knight
Hall Room 106.
Beware of high interest: Don’t fall into credit card traps — they come with high interest.
In addition, be aware that student loans must be paid back with interest, so don’t
accept more than you need.
Look into scholarships and financial aid: If you need additional funds for school,
contact UW’s Scholarships and Financial Aid office, and also check out the many private
scholarships offered by companies and organizations.
Consider a job: Many students choose to work part-time during college. There are campus
jobs, jobs in the community, work-study opportunities, as well as paid internships
and funded research opportunities.
Director of Admissions Shelley Dodd volunteers her time as a mentor in the Academic
Life Coaching program.
Academic Life Coaching
UW is dedicated to student success and providing students with the resources they
need. As such, the university recently launched a new option for students on academic
probation. Previously, these students could take a spring course designed to help
them get back on track. The course is still being offered and updated, but now select
students have the option of choosing one-on-one mentoring through Academic Life Coaching.
“We created the Academic Life Coaching model to really mentor students and talk to
them about their approach to learning and being a college student,” says Ben Herdt,
manager of academic advising for the Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies Center.
“It’s mentoring designed to be very goal-oriented. The coach helps the students set
goals and holds them accountable.”
Students who feel there’s someone on campus who cares about their success feel more
connected and persist at a higher rate. This new offering is one of the many ways
UW provides a personalized touch.
Saddle Up
Incoming UW students take part in the Saddle Up program, a weeklong onboarding prior
to the start of classes. Saddle Up provides you with a realistic, rigorous, fun and
exciting entry to college-level work, with an emphasis on how to be successful in
a college class. Saddle Up gives students real-world college preparation on a small
scale, with classes that include homework and exams with feedback on how to improve
performance (which is low stakes), fitness and wellness time, college connection time,
study time, and essential skills sessions. This experience equips incoming students
with the academic skills and mindset they will need to be successful.
Contact Us
Institutional Communications Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137 Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: (307) 766-2929 Email:cbaldwin@uwyo.edu