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Advice for students starting at Wake this fall

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DemonDeacon92

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My son starts at Wake this fall (in a few days). It been a while since I've been there, so I was wondering if any recent grads could help out with some words of wisdom.

What's the deal with these First Year Seminars, are they easy/a joke/ waste of time, or legitimate classes that he'll have to work at? Does it matter that my son got put in one he could care less about?

Why the hell are freshmen parking behind the Joel? Are the shuttles convenient, or does this suck as bad as it sounds like it does?

Are Frat parties still on campus, or have they been driven off canpus (only the Deke's were off campus when I was there). How popular are Frats among students?

What are the better Dorms now?

I'm sure I'll think of others, thanks for any insight.
 
DemonDeacon92 said:
My son starts at Wake this fall (in a few days). It been a while since I've been there, so I was wondering if any recent grads could help out with some words of wisdom.

What's the deal with these First Year Seminars, are they easy/a joke/ waste of time, or legitimate classes that he'll have to work at? Does it matter that my son got put in one he could care less about?

depends on the class/professor. they're not necessarily HARD, but they require some work to get the relatively easy A. it would be a shame to waste the easy GPA boost.

Why the hell are freshmen parking behind the Joel? Are the shuttles convenient, or does this suck as bad as it sounds like it does?

this is new. sucks for them.

Are Frat parties still on campus, or have they been driven off canpus (only the Deke's were off campus when I was there). How popular are Frats among students?

off campus, that was a big change over my time there (04-08). also during that time, i think it was like 30% of males joined a frat. they're popular in that they drive the social scene.

What are the better Dorms now?

...? what do you mean, better? i would assume you mean nicer? i'll venture to guess that the newer dorms are nicer.

I'm sure I'll think of others, thanks for any insight.
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responses in the quote.
Advice: try new things, be nice to people, remember that you're there to learn and your parents are paying out the ass for you to be there.
 
Remind him that college isnt just about academics. Its just as important for him to find out who he really is. Most if not all of were drastically different people when we left compared to when we arrived on campus. Meet as many people as he can rather than picking a few friends and exclusively hanging out with them.
 
Study abroad. If you don't you will almost certainly regret it.

Go to at least a couple games of non revenue sports. College athletics will likely never be as enjoyable as when you are rooting on your classmates.

Don't be afraid to nurture relationships with faculty and/or staff. Wake has great people, and there are excellent mentors all over campus.

Volunteer at least a little bit. Wake is definitely a bubble, and it's important to get outside of it. Project Pumpkin, Campus Kitchen, and DESK are great ways to get involved.

The logistical stuff (dorms, parking, etc.) is less important as it might seem. The shuttles are reliable, and actually go to other places around town which is nice. Remember that everyone else will have the same experience, so it's not like you'll be left out.
 
Deacfreak07 said:
Study abroad. If you don't you will almost certainly regret it.

Go to at least a couple games of non revenue sports. College athletics will likely never be as enjoyable as when you are rooting on your classmates.

Don't be afraid to nurture relationships with faculty and/or staff. Wake has great people, and there are excellent mentors all over campus.

Volunteer at least a little bit. Wake is definitely a bubble, and it's important to get outside of it. Project Pumpkin, Campus Kitchen, and DESK are great ways to get involved.

The logistical stuff (dorms, parking, etc.) is less important as it might seem. The shuttles are reliable, and actually go to other places around town which is nice. Remember that everyone else will have the same experience, so it's not like you'll be left out.
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Spot on.
 
It is more important now than ever to try to distinguish yourself academically. Good grades are essential in this terrible job market. There's too little supply and too much demand for good careers and employers lack the time and interest to get beyond grades as proxies. So study hard. Don't automatically go to grad school without thinking hard about what you really want the rest of your life to look like. Don't go to law school, period. My generation had the luxury of letting the current carry us along and life for the most part worked out okay. This generation does not have that luxury. Assuming you are not independently wealthy and your son will need to work for a living, he needs to be very thoughtful NOW about what his career and income trajectory will look like.

Study a foreign language or two. An Asian language would be a good choice. This may be an extreme view, but I suspect the day is coming when a lot of Americans will have to look overseas for jobs.
 
Actually pay attention in foreign language.

Go to a Salem mixer.

Find a church or town group to be involved with off campus.

Know that if a girl offers to hook up with you, and you say no, there is no second chance.

If you're not from Nc explore the state.

Find an internship jr year

Do summer session so you can take the min credits senior yr.

Find out where kW, mountain fried, and Lexington BBQ are
 
Good advice (well maybe not RJ's, but point taken). Thanks. This thread was inspired by the other one about regrets from our time at Wake. Not sure I can tell him not to get a GF, but I'll keep that in mind.

He wants to study abroad, but he's a big sports fan and wants to be pre-med, so 2 strikes against that. I'm guessing the courses he would take would just be electives, right? So it will be tough to squeeze all the required courses in and go abroad.

More about the seminars, are they writing classes, debate/discussion? His is taught by the chair of the theatre dept!?! He doesn't know what to expect.

That is nice that the shuttles go elsewhere in the city. By best dorms, I guess I meant most desirable (I guess newest=nicest, so maybe South). Are the one on the Quad the most hard to get in?

About laptops (obviously new since I was there). Is the Bridge/IT easy to work with, does he need the insurance, cable lock, external hard drive that the Wake site says he needs?

Do students do a lot off campus? I saw the food advice above. I don't think I left campus much until I moved off campus, except O-pit, Baity's trips.
 
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There are things more important than studying all the time.
 
Deacon92 said:
Wait. I missed the screen name. Now I feel old.
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Yeah, we probably had similar experiences at Wake, but thanks for the input. I do need to make sure he is involved in the community some how (church, volunteering).
 
DemonDeacon92 said:
Good advice (well maybe not RJ's, but point taken). Thanks. This thread was inspired by the other one about regrets from our time at Wake. Not sure I can tell him not to get a GF, but I'll keep that in mind.

He wants to study abroad, but he's a big sports fan and wants to be pre-med, so 2 strikes against that. I'm guessing the courses he would take would just be electives, right? So it will be tough to squeeze all the required courses in and go abroad.

More about the seminars, are they writing classes, debate/discussion? His is taught by the chair of the theatre dept!?! He doesn't know what to expect.

That is nice that the shuttles go elsewhere in the city. By best dorms, I guess I meant most desirable (I guess newest=nicest, so maybe South). Are the one on the Quad the most hard to get in?

About laptops (obviously new since I was there). Is the Bridge/IT easy to work with, does he need the insurance, cable lock, external hard drive that the Wake site says he needs?

Do students do a lot off campus? I saw the food advice above. I don't think I left campus much until I moved off campus, except O-pit, Baity's trips.
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He could always study abroad during the summer. That way he doesn't get off track for his major and doesn't miss any sports.

The First Year Seminar, is exactly that, a seminar class. It will be mostly discussion with maybe 2 or 3 writing assignments. It is unusual for those classes to have tests. If he approaches it with an open mind he'll be fine.

Why the dorm questions? He's assigned one at this point so why does it matter? South is easily the nicest first-year dorm. No first year students are on the Quad.

Bridge is easy to work with.
 
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DemonDeacon92 said:
1) What's the deal with these First Year Seminars, are they easy/a joke/ waste of time, or legitimate classes that he'll have to work at? Does it matter that my son got put in one he could care less about?

2) Why the hell are freshmen parking behind the Joel? Are the shuttles convenient, or does this suck as bad as it sounds like it does?

3) Are Frat parties still on campus, or have they been driven off canpus (only the Deke's were off campus when I was there). How popular are Frats among students?

4) What are the better Dorms now?
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Firstly, I'll echo DF07's sentiment about this logistical stuff not mattering nearly as much as the bigger picture and process of college; however, I'll proffer some answers to your questions:

1) FYS can be very rewarding. Wake has excellent faculty, and this course gives them a venue to teach about one of their passion areas in an intimate setting. If there's a way your son can get into a course that would be interesting and/or challenging (read: challenging his worldview or broadening his horizons) I'd recommend that - it won't be a waste of time.

2) Freshmen parking has not been 'convenient' (AKA on campus) for 10+ years (I can't speak to any further back). Comes with the territory. It's still 100 times better than most colleges.

3) Wake is cyclical. For a couple years the administration will do everything in their power to get things off campus. Then they'll realize it's safer to have everything on campus, and they lighten their stance. I believe (and someone will need to back this up) that Wake is currently in a stretch of wanting things on campus with the Barn and more openness to having frats on campus.

4) Like BDer said, there's no changing the residence hall at this point. But South is the newest and 'nicest'. I'm sure it also has less identity and a community-feel compared to the other ones.
 
My advice:

1) Take interesting and challenging divisional (non-major) courses. Your son can ask for recommendations from upperclassmen: who are the great professors? What classes were impactful?

2) Get involved. Frat, band, religious community, RA, volunteering, SGA - whatever floats his boat. He'll meet more people, become better connected to campus, and grow OUTSIDE of the classroom which is extremely important.

3) Study abroad. I like wakephan09's approach and doing this during the summer to not miss sport seasons.

4) Stay at Wake for summer school. The benefits are numerous: you can get ahead on classes in a more relaxed environment, you can continue to form/build friendships with friends, faculty & staff, you have plenty of time to work outside the classroom (can be more difficult during regular semesters), and you have the campus to yourself. Some of my best MSD memories are from my summers there.

5) This may go without saying on this board, but go to EVERY football and basketball game, plus Olympic sporting events from time to time. Our soccer and field hockey teams are historically competitive (thanks, Ron) and typically don't receive the support they deserve.

Congrats to you and your son. This is an exciting new adventure - have fun!
 
DemonDeacon92 said:
He wants to study abroad, but he's a big sports fan and wants to be pre-med, so 2 strikes against that. I'm guessing the courses he would take would just be electives, right? So it will be tough to squeeze all the required courses in and go abroad.
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I don't know how tough it is now, but I studied abroad, which wasn't easy as a business major. I saved two overall requirements (Philosophy and a history course, I think) and took them abroad, and then went to a session of summer school when I got back.

That doesn't help with sports, obviously.
 
inspectah said:
It is more important now than ever to try to distinguish yourself academically. Good grades are essential in this terrible job market. There's too little supply and too much demand for good careers and employers lack the time and interest to get beyond grades as proxies. So study hard. Don't automatically go to grad school without thinking hard about what you really want the rest of your life to look like. Don't go to law school, period. My generation had the luxury of letting the current carry us along and life for the most part worked out okay. This generation does not have that luxury. Assuming you are not independently wealthy and your son will need to work for a living, he needs to be very thoughtful NOW about what his career and income trajectory will look like.

Study a foreign language or two. An Asian language would be a good choice. This may be an extreme view, but I suspect the day is coming when a lot of Americans will have to look overseas for jobs.
Click to expand...

The job market is not nearly this bad
 
Use college to figure out strengths and weaknesses. Figure out how to monetize the strengths. Figure out how people can use your strengths and how much they're willing to pay for them.
 
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