FAQ’s About Campus Life

***This week's post was written by Aislinn Goad, a Biology major, and a mentor here at Student Support Servces.***

FAQ’s About Campus Life

 Coming to college means many new life changes: a new home, new places to eat, new friends, and new organizations to join. Northwest Missouri State University is like its own small town within the small town of Maryville! Northwest offers many great resources that some students are not even aware of. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions regarding life on campus:

·         Where should I go if I need help in a class?

There are so many resources to help you succeed in your classes on campus! The library itself is a great resource. Within the library are the Talent Development Center and the Writing Center. The TDC offers free tutoring in most courses, as well as help with time management. It is open from 8 am- 5 pm Monday through Friday. Just call (660) 562-1726 to set up an appointment! The Writing Center offers assistance on essays, research papers, or anything else you need to compose for a class. Call (660) 562- 1480 to set up an appointment at the Writing Center. Also available are the Math Lab in Garrett Strong and departmental tutors—asking your professor for help is always a great way to start!

·         What are hours can I eat on campus?

The Bearcat Food Court is open:

Monday - Thursday
7:00am - 8:00pm
Friday
7:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday & Sunday
11:00am - 7:00pm

JW’s Grille is open:

Monday - Friday
11:00am-9:00pm
Saturday & Sunday
Closed

Java City in the Union is open:

Monday - Friday
7:30am - 5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday
Closed

And the Station is open 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK!!

·         How do I get involved on campus?

There are hundreds of organizations to get involved in on campus. Just go to http://www.nwmissouri.edu/studentaffairs/index.htm for a list of all organizations and who to contact to get involved. Or if you are passionate about something that doesn’t already have an organization, you can start one up for yourself!!!

 ·         What should I do if I feel unsafe on campus?

Campus Safety offers many services that help you feel safe on campus. If you are at the library or another Residence Hall late at night, just call University Police at (660) 562.1254 and they will give you a ride home. You can also call them if your car is dead and the battery needs to be jumped! A great service that the University provides is Safe Ride Home, which will give you a ride if you have been drinking and it is unsafe to drive. Just call (660) 562.1245. Their operating hours are:

Wednesday	4 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Thursday	10 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Friday	4 p.m. - 4 a.m.
Saturday	10 p.m. - 4 a.m.

·         How can Student Support Services help me succeed at Northwest?

Student Support Services offers many resources to help you!! Peer mentors are available to meet with you one-on-one whenever you have other questions about adapting to college life. We also offer a résumé service, where you can turn in a draft of a résumé and we will give you suggestions on how to improve.  If you need to print something for class, just come up to our office and use on of our printers for free. We are all here to help to at SSS, just stop by AD 360 and talk to one of our staff members about whatever you need!!

What the HECK can you do in the 'Ville???

***This week's blog comes from Ally Varner, an Elementary Ed/Early Childhood Major at Northwest and one of our SSS Student Mentors***

A question a lot of students tend to ask is, “What is there to do in Maryville?” If you have found yourself wondering about the entertainment aspects of the Ville you are not alone! I am here to give you ideas of what you can do when you are not studying.

1. Free On-Campus Events-Be sure to always be checking your Northwest student planner for ideas on what there is to do on-campus. Many organizations and offices host free lunches, info sessions, fun activities, etc. Student Activities Council (SAC) hosts many free events for Northwest students. These include poker nights, ice cream socials, comedians, and more. Also, all Northwest athletic events are free to student, so go cheer on our teams! Take advantage of any and all free events on campus!
2. Food Options: Carsons, La Bonita, Dominos, Sonic, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, My Favorite Muffin, Applebee’s….this could go on for awhile. Go out to eat with a group of friends or people from your floor! From fast food to sit-down restaurants, Maryville has got a little bit of everything!
3. The Great Outdoors: Although it is getting colder, something to keep in mind during warmer weather is Maryville’s pool and Mozingo lake. Mozingo has a golf course, camping grounds, and manmade beach.
4. Shopping: Shopping in Maryville may be pretty minimal, but we do have Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee, Maurices, JC Penney, Hibbett Sports, and Payless. My friends and I will sometimes have Wal-Mart outings together to stock up on groceries and Northwest apparel.
5. Fitness-In addition to the fitness facility on campus, Maryville also has a Community Center and Get Fit 24 (where you can see personal trainer Brenda!) where you can work on your fitness. Many centers have an assortment of machines and weights to meet all of your exercise needs.

There are just a few ideas of things to do in Maryville. With all of the free events hosted on campus, food options, outdoor areas, gyms and stores there is no reason you cannot find all you need in the Ville! If you feel you have too much down time, be sure to go out and explore all the things the Ville has to offer! Also be sure to get involved on campus to make the most of your college years!

You're Here, Now Get Involved!

Well, the first week of classes are now complete!!  You survived, and hopefully now you feel at least a little more organized and prepared than you were week 1.  Our SSS Mentors are now in full swing, and have contacted each of their Mentees (that's you) to set up your first one-on-one meeting!  These meetings are not only our way of connecting with you, but a way for you to get connected to what is happening on campus!

A lot of research has been done showing that students who are involved on their campus have higher GPA's, higher retention rates, and are overall more happy with their college experience than students who are not 'connected' with something on campus.  That's the point of today's blog...get connected to SOMETHING.  ANYTHING.  Whether you choose intramurals to feed your competitive hunger or Greek life for a lifelong connection to a group, get involved!

If you are reading this thinking, "there is nothing out there for someone like me" then you haven't looked hard enough (or you just don't know where to look).

Northwest offers more than 150 student organizations, encompassing social, religious, athletic, political, artistic and performing activities and interests. Whether you are interested in participating in student government, fraternities or sororities, multicultural groups, sports clubs or academic clubs, this site can help you get started and get you connected to the Northwest community. Find an organization that interests you -- and get involved! (http://www.nwmissouri.edu/studentaffairs/organizations/index.htm)

Still not convinced??   There are many reasons for joining an organization on campus, including:

Opportunities for socialization

Opportunities to work with others as a member or a team

Opportunities for leadership development

Opportunities for career enhancement (resume materials)

Opportunities for weekend involvement

Opportunities to network with faculty and administrators

Opportunities to develop life-long friendships

Opportunities to develop new interests and expand your horizons

Opportunities to lean about other cultures'

Opportunities to improve/enhance communication skills

Sounds like there are plenty of opportunities out there - now, go and find them!!  College life should be academic based, but you MUST have a balance of both social and academic events to really be successful at college. 

Stop by the SSS office if you have any questions about how to get involved on campus.  Our student mentors are great resources (AND they are super cool people with a social life to die for!!). 

Have a great day!! 

 LIKE us on Facebook!!


Follow us on Twitter


I am not sure what you do on PINTREST, but check us out there too!!!


***all pictures were taken from the Northwest Website:  www.nwmissouri.edu