First, let me start by saying welcome back to all the upper classmen! And welcome to Buff State for all you freshman and transfers! As we get back into the swing of things like classes, sports and homework, there are a few things you need to make sure you check out here during your time at Buff State. Whether this is your first or last year, there are plenty of things that our school offers that we as students should take advantage of while we can!
Starting on the academic side, take advantage of your advisor and professors! Go to their office hours. Not only can they help you with your homework, but you might need a glowing letter of recommendation in the near future and if you’re close with a professor, they will be your go to for those kind of things. Your advisor is a great tool to keep you on track. Trust me! Take it from someone who transferred and changed her major four times! Advisors can be like wizards in a sense of helping you stay on track for graduation!
Next, the library! Now obviously it’s a solid place to get away to finish your millions of homework assignments! But the library also contains the writing center where professors and English majors will help you out by proof reading your papers and telling you what you need to fix! It’s free and super accessible! A sure way to always get A’s on your essays? Sounds good to me!
Club and job fairs are also something to definitely take advantage of! Especially if you’re a freshman or transfer looking to get involved on your new campus! Buffalo State holds annual club and job fairs during Bengal Pause. It’s usually outside in the union quad! Tables are set up with local and on campus businesses looking for part-time employees. So, bring your resume and fill outs some applications and you’ll have a job in no time! Club fairs are set up similarly in that they too set up little tables. You can go from table to table and talk to members of the different clubs and Greek life to see what’s the perfect fit for you! Afterwards, hop on to Bengal Connect to become a member as well.
Besides hitting up the club tables, Bengal Pause in itself is something to take advantage of. Because there are no classes during this period, it’s the perfect time to socialize and grab that midday coffee! So don’t lock yourself away in your dorms during this time. Get out there and mingle! And feel free to see what else is going on in the union, like the game room! It’s a little bit hidden under the dining hall, next to Outtakes. Full of pool and ping pong tables and even Guitar Hero, it’s definitely something that gets overlooked sometimes. But it’s still something to take advantage of for sure.
The gym and art galleries are amazing things on our campus that we get to use for free! Once you leave college, you have to pay monthly fees for a gym membership and the full price of a gallery ticket. Whether you live on campus or commute, I would totally make sure I’m hitting the gym while I can for free! And the Burchfield Penney Art Center makes a super fun day trip if you’re ever bored or just in need of some AC on these ridiculously hot days!
Okay, now one of the awesome things about being a college student is obviously Student Discounts! I basically ask every store I shop at if they give student discounts! J.Crew, Charlotte Ruse and TopShop are a few that have student discounts. Amazon Prime and some Adobe software’s also offer student discounts, which can come in handy depending on your major!
Lastly, take advantage of the home games! I’m personally a Hockey fan so gather all your friends and stop by at any of our team’s home games. Whether it’s Hockey, Football, Basketball or any other sport it’s a great way to show your school spirit and support your fellow Bengals!