Find What You Need to Succeed

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.

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.

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.

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