Finals are right around the corner....

Finals: the one word that just instantly brings stress to my mind, and the only thing that is on my mind at the moment. Thanksgiving is next week and the week after- finals. I usually fly to New York for the big meal but this year, because finals follow so closely behind, I decided it would be in my best interest to stay until after finals concluded. As it gets closer to Thanksgiving, I am so relieved I am not going through the hassle of flying home, three days later flying back, and then a week later flying back home. I have two take home essays and three actual exams. I have faith in myself that they will fly by and I’ll be enjoying the holiday vacation with my family before I know it. It’s amazing to think that this semester is two weeks away from being over. It seems to me that it was just yesterday I started my new classes. Now don’t get me wrong, the schoolwork in general becomes tiring at this point in the semester, but being a Junior I do not want to rush what is left of my college experience, especially here in this beautiful place.

            I’m looking forward to spending the Thanksgiving break with my friends and enjoying a nice small break that will give me a chance to mentally prepare myself for finals. We plan on having a “friends-giving.” This will be the first Thanksgiving I will not spend with my family, but to be completely honest- I love change and I’m looking forward to cooking my own meal as that will definitely be an experience. Hopefully it all turns out to be edible.

New First-Year Admissions Coordinator Hannah Bingham

Hi Seahawks!

My name is Hannah Bingham and I am a new First-Year Coordinator for the UNCW Office of Admissions.  As an alumna of UNCW, I am thrilled to remain working on campus as part of the Seahawk family, and couldn’t be more excited to start my journey with the Admissions office.  I love UNCW and can’t wait to recruit future Seahawks! First, let me tell you a little bit about myself. 

I was born and raised in the small town of Laurinburg, NC, just a few hours away from Wilmington.  I grew up going to Wrightsville Beach and was familiar with the city so when the time came to start looking at colleges, it was a no brainer where I wanted to go!  During my time as an undergraduate at UNCW, I fully immersed myself in all of the opportunities available to me.  I held several on-campus jobs such as working as a Building Manager for Campus Life and a Peer Educator for Health Promotion. In addition, I was involved in awesome student organizations such as Association for Campus Entertainment and the Seahawk Link program.  I graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education and am now interested in one day continuing my education through the Higher Education graduate program at UNCW.  I love our campus and working with students so I may never leave!

I hope I get the chance to meet as many people as I can and welcome anyone to visit me, whether you have an Admissions question or just want to say hi!  I am the regional counselor for the Northern NC counties, as well for the Midwest of the United States and can’t wait for the traveling opportunities that lie ahead.  If you have questions, you know where to find me!

Best,

Hannah Bingham ‘13

First-Year Admissions Coordinator

binghamh@uncw.edu

910-962-2269

Transitioning as a Transfer Student

As a very recently transferred student, I find myself in the unique position of knowing the ins-and-outs of UNCW, but also acutely remembering what it was like to have no idea what I was doing. Being at a new university is hard, especially when you’re coming in as an upper level student. You have to relearn everything from the campus’ layout to how to sign up to classes, while at the same time you’re taking high level courses that require most of your attention. On top of all that, you’re probably moving here from another city like I did, or maybe you’re moving out on your own for the first time. It can all make for one incredibly stressful first semester. But fear not! I have some sage advice on how to handle it: you are not alone. There are other transfer students who are going through the exact same thing all around you.

Almost immediately when this semester began, I noticed that there were several students who seemed to be in almost every class I had. This was a little strange since my schedule was pretty crazy to account for several gateway courses I had to take to get into my major. I approached them and found that we were all brand new transfer students with the same major. We’ve spent all semester in class together, working together on a number of group projects, helping each other learn how to use UNCW’s systems, and even hanging out outside of school. I can’t tell you how invaluable its been having this group of ready-made friends. What I was worried would be a stressful beginning, turned into an amazing start to my time here at UNCW.

Went to Wag for some food, came out with a friend.

 One of my favorite things about UNCW is the friendly students. This week I made a new friend just by eating lunch.

I had a busy schedule with a long list of things I needed to accomplish for the day. I decided that I didn’t have time for chit-chat and planned on running into Wagoner Dining Hall just for a quick bite as I stressed out about everything I had to do that today. I grabbed a slice of veggie pizza and a salad and only planned on being in there for 10 or 15 minutes. I usually don’t eat lunch by myself (I’m not a loser, I promise), but like I said, I had a lot of things to accomplish that day and was just stopping for a quick bite. Not long after I sat down a guy I’ve never met before in my life walks up to me. He casually says, “I noticed that you were eating by yourself and I was wondering if I could join you”. I was a little shocked, but I nodded my head and accepted his invitation. We began casually talking and before I knew it I had forgotten about the list of things I had to do that day. We had a great friendly conversation and it was a nice unexpected break from my hectic day. 

The kindness and thoughtfulness of strangers here at UNCW never ceases to amaze me. I love UNCW and all of its friendly students. Plus I love making new friends, especially in the most unexpected ways!

-Anna-Joy