Starting Saturday, June 22, first-year students at USF St. Petersburg will jumpstart college with Week of Welcome (WOW), an event series designed to help students meet new people, try new adventures and lay the foundation for a successful higher education experience.
The fun doesn’t stop when WOW ends. Dozens of more events, from film screenings to kayak expeditions, take place during the First 30 Days, when offices and student organizations across the university offer unique activities for new and returning students.
“Our program of events give a great way for students to get engaged,” said Carolina Nutt, Director of Compass Student Experience. “There is something for everybody.”
WOW and the First 30 Days feature a variety of events on and off campus to give students the chance to grow their network and engage with groups both inside and outside the university.
“Many students come to USFSP because of its great location and connection to the St. Pete community,” Nutt said. “Others are attracted by the culture of arts and music. We want to connect student not only to a lot of campus departments, but also to the community beyond campus.”
For example, on Friday, June 28, students can join Campus Recreation for a night trip to the Space Coast, during which they’ll take a paddling expedition to see bioluminescent marine organisms.
“This trip is a great experience for students to experience something not found in many other places in the world,” said Dan Marshall, Coordinator of Watercraft, Adventure and Aquatics for Campus Recreation. “All of our trips provide a great space for students to get to know other students with similar interests. We make sure to make every trip exciting from expert paddlers to beginners.”
Student Government will host the Red, White and Blue BBQ before heading downtown for the St. Pete fireworks show on Thursday, July 4. And on July 5, students can explore the history of glass art during a private tour at St. Pete’s Imagine Museum.
Interested in on-campus jobs? Join the Career Center for Shadow Day on Wednesday, July 10. The event will take students through a “day in the life” of a student employee. Paired with a current on-campus employee, new students can observe their day-to-day job duties, ask questions and meet other people who work in that office.
“Our goal is to show students the opportunities we have available for employment on campus,” said Marina Martinez, Career Programs Specialist for the Career Center. “If at the end of the day they’re interested in applying for a job in that office, they already have that networking connection with one of the professionals there.”
The dates for summer WOW are June 22 to June 29. WOW will return for fall semester from August 24 to August 30.