Week two has already come and gone of the quarter and students are starting to get into the groove of life on campus. But when it is your first year away from home, being a freshman can be a little intimidating. College is a big transition with new friends, new classes and so much more creating an exciting yet scary experience for some.
This week we are featuring a few of our freshmen students by asking them what their first impression of Western has been so far. And by the amount of uplifting responses, it is apparent that Western freshmen love the transition to college.
The most common response to our question was how beautiful the campus was. Western is known for its Pacific Northwest beauty nestled near Bellingham Bay and surrounded by lush evergreens.
“It is gorgeous! The view from north campus is what made me fall in love with this place,” Jennie Atkinson said.
Atkinson, double majoring in music education and creative writing education also included how there is something here at Western for everyone. With a vast variety of clubs and activities to choose from, how could one go bored?
“I really like it here, it’s easy to make friends and I like that there are always events happening. I also like late night,” business and sustainability major, Ella Tanaka said.
The campus has multiple dorms to choose from. Freshman as well as upper classmen can live in Buchanan Towers, Fairhaven, Nash, Edens and Edens North, Higginson, Mathes, Highland and Ridgeway.
“The dorms create a good community,” Jessie Shane said. “People are really welcoming and friendly.”
Bellingham is a part of the Cascade Mountain ridge foothills, meaning that the campus calls for many stairs to go with its many hills. This was a common first impression for freshman living up on Ridgeway.
“There are a lot of hills and stairs, so it’s always leg day!” computer science major, Merril Hunt-Paez said. Hunt-Paez said she also enjoys the teachers and the dining halls so far.
Overall, Western is sending good vibes to many of the freshmen. Established in 1886, Western continues to attract students with its beautiful campus and engaging classes.
“I really like it, everyone is really cool and there are so many opportunities and activities in a healthy environment,” general biology major, Gina Heuscher said. “You can relate to other students and I feel like I really fit in here so I have really enjoyed it here,” she said.
There are still many freshmen perspectives to go around, and by making our freshmen our campus celebrities this week, we encourage more students to let us know what their first impression was!