First-Year Students Adjust To Life at Warren Wilson College
Eli Styles | September 13, 2023
Now that school has been in session for nearly four weeks, first-year students are beginning to settle into their new lives at Warren Wilson College (WWC).
While it has been an adjustment for many, most of the first-years have enjoyed their time here so far. The transition from high school to college was aided by orientation week.
Abigail Harris, a freshman on the Community Oriented Regeneration Efforts (CORE) Crew, thought orientation was a helpful experience.
“I enjoyed [orientation],” Harris said. “There were a lot of things to do every day so it was very stressful, but it did make the transition from orientation week to regular school very easy because I went from having stuff to do from early in the morning to late to barely having anything.”
Harris lives on the Sunderland third floor, the main first-year residence hall on campus.
“I really like the community we’ve made on our floor,” Harris continued. “I feel like we’ve all been willing to work with each other on issues we’ve run into and I hope we continue to improve on that.”
Other students have not had this experience with housing. Emmet Clements, a freshman on the Library Circulation Crew, lives in Vining A.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to navigate living [in Vining],” Clements said. “Our hallways are set up where you can never really see anybody, so that makes it hard to communicate. On the campus, I’m thriving, but Vining specifically is not contributing to that.”
Living in a dorm setting has been jarring for many first-years. Some of the main complaints have been the uncleanliness of bathrooms and kitchens and the lack of attendance to laundry.
Shared living experiences aside, students have been finding their place at WWC throughout the beginning of this semester. However, it has not always been the experience that they expected.
“I think everyone has that image in their mind of how college is portrayed [in media], and so far it’s been very relieving to not be like that,” Clements said. “The outdoor and community elements are things you don’t see often, so being able to take time outside and have creativity encouraged is a welcome change from past school experiences.”
Others have also found joy in the community aspect of WWC. Self-acclaimed local celebrity Bandit Cox works on the Dining Crew. He is having fun with the open and accepting environment.
“I spent most of my life at this private Christian school, and people were not very friendly there,” Cox said. “But I came here, and now I know people that I can say hi to and have lengthy conversations with. I like it, I like pretty much everything here.”
Students are also finding that balancing classes and work is easier than expected.
“All my classes and shifts are confined to Monday through Thursday, so I have time to do pretty much everything I need to,” Cox said.
As far as the future is concerned, most first-years are still feeling things out. Many are undecided in terms of majors, but in the meantime, they are finding their places on campus. Harris has found that she enjoys working in the free store at CORE, and Cox likes washing dishes in Gladfelter with his coworkers.
Some of the first-years’ favorite spots on campus are the library, the river trail and the hammocks. Clements thinks that having places like this on campus makes for a more relaxed atmosphere.
Starting at WWC has been a learning experience for many first-year students, but overall they are faring well. The accepting environment has made a huge impact on students who have not had access to support like this in the past.
“I’ve just really enjoyed hearing everyone’s experiences and being able to be myself without people judging like they did back home,” Harris said. “[At WWC] you genuinely don’t have to care about what people think.”