At Student Orientation, Advising and Registration, or SOAR, sessions, new UW-Madison students register for classes and learn more about campus life. We checked in with a few College of Letters & Science majors to learn what they’re most looking forward to in the semester ahead.
Collin Dedrick has come to UW-Madison to pursue — and combine — two passions: computer sciences and music. The student from Menomonee Falls, who plays the piano and French horn and sings, wants to learn more about creating software and how music is produced. “I’m trying to develop programs that make music on their own,” he says.
Angelie Humbert is transferring to UW-Madison for the “Big 10 atmosphere” and research opportunities it provides. The student from Geneva, Illinois, is eager to get involved in student organizations, attend football games, work with faculty on research and pursue majors in economics and international studies.
The reputation of the computer sciences department drew Rehan Madhugiri to UW-Madison, where he plans to also major in applied math. The student from Herndon, Virginia, located just outside of Washington, D.C., is also looking forward to getting to know new people in a new environment. “In the Midwest, people are just so nice, and it’s a more relaxed kind of place,” he says.
At her small high school in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Paige Nelson thoroughly enjoyed an environmental science class. So the opportunity to enroll in a sustainability-focused First-Year Interest Group, or FIG, was a great fit. She’s excited for the three linked classes as well as the sense of community that will form among the 20 students in her cohort. “It’s a smaller group, which will provide a good transition to a bigger school for me,” she says.
Odyssey Xiong, a transfer student from Milwaukee, can’t wait for the fall semester to begin so he can begin classes and acclimate to the campus community. “I’m looking forward to actually starting school and trying to get involved in any way I can,” says the economics major.
For Aerin Glover, UW-Madison offers the “perfect package” college experience. “It’s so spirited,” says the student from Westchester, New York. “It’s academically challenging, diverse and big. There are so many opportunities and paths to succeed.” She’s eager to make connections with fellow students and professors as she pursues sociology and pre-law majors
An interest in economics drew Matthew Mott to UW-Madison from a smaller UW System school. The student from Ripon, Wisconsin, is ready not only to start classes but also to give residence-hall living a try. “It’s new opportunities and new social situations, too,” he says.
While Emily Beyer grew up nearby in Middleton, the UW-Madison campus feels like a new place to her. She’s excited to immerse herself in the university community as she takes classes in math, literature and zoology, on her way to a major in physics. “It’s a new beginning,” she says.
