It's #TuesdayNewsday!
Happy October!
Congratulations on officially making it through 5 weeks of classes; we're about one third of the way through your first semester! In this week's Hawk Herald, we will discuss belonging on campus, meet two students to hear about how they found belonging at Miami, and enjoy our fourth installment of Since You Asked.
Need to look back at a previous issue of the Hawk Herald? Visit the Hawk Herald archive.
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At Miami, you don't have to change anything about yourself to fit in. You belong here.
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| Finding Belonging on Campus
You’ve been here for a little over a month now. While it might look like everyone has friends, it's completely normal if you haven’t quite found a good group of friends yet, or Miami doesn’t completely feel like home. You aren’t alone in feeling this way. There is still plenty of time to meet new people, build friendships, connect with professors, and find exciting and worthwhile clubs and organizations. Don’t take our word for it, though.
Here are two students' experiences and insights on finding belonging at Miami:
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Meet Viengsamai Fetters
- Year: Senior
- Major: English Literature
I came to college unsure how the phrase "Miami community" could ever apply to me. In all honesty, it took me years before I used those words and included myself in them. When I arrived, it seemed like all the stereotypes about Miami were true--everyone seemed rich, white, incredibly heterosexual, and nothing at all like me. This is, of course, mostly not the case, but that's how it felt, and it made life really hard. I was lucky to have people in my corridor who went out of their ways to be my friend, but even with friends I felt distanced from what I saw as "Miami." I found bits and pieces of community along the way, but I didn't consider myself part of one until I began spending time in what is now the Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion during my second semester of my sophomore year and making connections there. I had to go out of my way to find community, and I'm grateful for people like Rhonda Jackson & Hannah Thompson who made it easier for me, but it still took some work and some time. I wish I had known coming into college that feeling out of place isn't unusual, and that even though everyone says "you'll find your people," it might take time.
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Meet Ben Waugh
- Year: Sophomore
- Major: Accounting
When I first came to Miami, I knew a few people from high school, but we didn’t really hang out. For the first couple of weeks, I tried going out to make friends, but I realized that that really wasn’t me. Instead, I started going downstairs to the lobby of my hall and playing ping pong during my free time, which is how I met my group of friends and built community in my residence hall. I was also able to meet people who shared my interests and passions through two organizations that I joined, Associated Student Government and Business Student Advisory Council. After the initial feeling of “what did I get myself into” when I was first adjusting to Miami, I was lucky to begin to feel at home within the first month. This was largely because of the people who quickly became my own miniature family. If I could give one piece of advice about finding community at Miami, I would say to keep putting yourself out there, even when it’s hard. Out of 16,000 people at Miami, you’re bound to find someone who likes what you do and who you will connect with.
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Complete Part 2 of Your Online Modules by October 10
As a reminder, you need to complete Part 2 of the Alcohol Edu, Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion modules by October 10. If these modules aren't completed by the due date, a hold will be placed on your student account, and you will not be permitted to register for spring semester classes.
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Pathways to Business: Employer & Alumni Panel
Hear from employers and alumni on the steps they took to secure their career paths, challenges and successes they faced, and advice they would give to students in securing successful employment.
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I failed an exam, and I'm really upset about it. What should I do?
Your first college exam can feel like a really big, stressful event. And it’s never easy to get an exam back with a grade you aren’t happy with, especially after you worked hard at studying. Remember to give yourself some grace - adjusting to college tests doesn’t happen overnight.
If you’re struggling with the class as a whole, seeking out tutoring from the Rinella Learning Center might be helpful. It’s also always a good idea to go talk to your professor after an exam to get their feedback on how best to prepare for their exams or what parts of the exam were particularly challenging for you (so you can do better next time). Remember not to be too hard on yourself. One bad grade doesn’t make you a bad student!
-- S.
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FAFSA for 2020 - 2021 Now Available
The FAFSA form for the 2020-2021 academic year is now available. Students who plan to apply for financial aid are encouraged to file early to be considered for available aid. A FAFSA form must be filed each year to determine need-based aid. More information is available on the One Stop website.
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Spring 2020 Course Schedule Available October 4
The available course list for the Spring 2020 semester will become available on Friday, October 4. Part of next week's Hawk Herald will focus on academic advising and registration and related resources. Until then, we encourage you to take a peek at the course list when it comes out on Friday. You can access the course list by visiting MiamiOH.edu/courselist.
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There's an App for That!
Download the Miami University Events app to get the latest First 50 Days information. After you've downloaded the app, select the Orientation and Transition 2019 guide. If you downloaded the app for orientation, you've already got it! We've refreshed the app contents for Welcome Weekend & First 50 Days. The schedule of events can also be found on the Welcome Weekend and First 50 Days website.
Inside the Orientation and Transition 2019 guide, you can:
- view the Welcome Weekend and First 50 Days schedule
- customize your personal Welcome Weekend and First 50 Days schedule with the "My Schedule" function
- find your way around campus with campus maps
- see dining hall hours
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As you attend Welcome Weekend and First 50 Days events, don't forget to use #MiamiOH2023 and #MiamiOHFirst50 to share all of the fun!
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