We are living in an odd time nowadays. There are different rules and obligations to go by within every day, including how we go through our schooling. Here are some different pieces of advice for all incoming students to WCU that, I hope, help you along the way.
- Websites That Got Me Through
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You are on a roll working on homework assignments when all of a sudden *BAM*, you’re stuck. You can’t seem to get out of it and suddenly you’re at a roadblock. However, it doesn’t need to stay that way. Here are some websites that can help you along the way
» Creating Citations & Bibliographies – Easybib and Citation Machine
» Homework and Exam Help & Solutions – Chegg Study and Slader
» Grammar/Spelling Corrections and Plagiarism Check – Grammarly (can be added as an extension on Google Chrome to check emails and documents)
» DIY Social Media Posts/Flyers/Resume Templates/Slideshow Presentations/Zoom Backgrounds – Canva
» Essay Breakdowns/Correcting Sentence Structure – Hemingway Editor
» Bibliography Organizer/Creator – Zotero (works as a browser extension)
» Students Reviews about Courses/Professors – RateMyProfessor
» Online Flashcards and Study Guides – Quizlet
- Get. INVOLVED.
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Look into the different clubs and organizations on campus! Even though we are remote, RamConnect is the go-to platform at WCU to help connect students to clubs/organizations on campus! Once you request to be added to a club, you instantly will be on the club’s mailing list to receive updates.
As well, look at wcupa.edu for the full list of clubs and organizations recognized at WCU.
- The Best Restaurants Downtown
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West Chester’s downtown area has Gay Street open as an open market for all restaurants to have seating on the street! Grab some friends and have fun downtown! Here are some great places I personally love to get food from:
» Desserts: D’Ascenzo’s Gelato, Dia Doce Gourmet Cupcakes, & Cookie Dope: Edible Cookie Dough & Ice Cream
» Sushi Restaurants: Bon Bon Sushi and Tsunami Sushi
» Italian Restaurants: Mercato & Teca
» Brunch/Lunch: Couch Tomato, Nudy’s Cafe, and Classic Diner
- Get internships/jobs in the area!
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Take advantage of all that Chester County has to offer! KOP, Exton, West Chester, and Glen Mills have so many corporations, restaurants, and offices that range. A huge resource to get internships and jobs is Handshake. I have personally had three different jobs solely from applying through Handshake (btw, WCU provides all students a free account if you log in using wcupa’s domain name (ex. wcupa.joinhandshake.com/login)).
As well, Indeed is another great resource to look even further and the WC area has ton of babysitting/dog care jobs available through the Facebook Class of xxxx group pages.
- Take advantage of what nature has to offer!
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The convenience of going to a school like WCU is that there is so much to adventure around the WC area. A great place that is walkable from campus is Everheart Park. It is a fifteen-minute walk and is the perfect place to have a picnic, go on trails, or play basketball. As well, there are plenty of trails in walking distance such as Stroud Preserve and Okehocking Preserve.
I hope this guide has helped you along the way of navigating college. But don’t sweat it, just come in with an open mind and go out and meet people!