Dear incoming freshmen and transfer students,

When you hear people talk about FAU, it’s not exactly painted as a great university. If we’re looking at public Florida schools alone, it’s usually ranked lower on the list behind bigger, older schools with better funding like UF or FSU.

And while you’ll hear students complain about it plenty during your next couple years, don’t let someone else’s perspective of a university shape your own. From my time here, I’ve learned that you get out what you put in.

When I first got to the Boca campus, I was a transfer student from a community college and I didn’t know anyone. I would drive to school, go to class and then drive back home.

After my first semester here, I started to panic, realizing I was less than two years away from getting my bachelor’s degree with limited extracurricular activities to put on my resume.

I quickly decided to get involved with student media as I’m a journalism major. After broadcasting a weekly news radio show for the Owl Radio station, I found myself at the University Press. It was really refreshing hanging out with like-minded people who loved news and journalism as much as I did.

And that’s what it’s all about, finding a place where you belong on campus. Joining an organization helps you make new friends right away, builds your resume and creates a network for future jobs. The more people you know, the more options you’ll have.

On-campus organizations are always looking for new members to carry on their legacy because people graduate every semester. There are organizations for nearly every major, interest  and hobby.

And even if you join an organization that isn’t related to your major, you’ll still be bettering yourself in the long run. You’ll learn to work with others, pick up new skills and hopefully make some friends in the process. (Trust me, wait until retirement to binge watch Netflix. It isn’t worth it during a time when you have so many opportunities to grow as a person.)

Getting involved with student media without a doubt saved my university experience. I could’ve graduated with just my degree and no outside experience, which wouldn’t have looked great on a resume. Now I have multiple positions and stories under my belt to show a future employer that I didn’t just go to class and go home afterward.

Yeah FAU may not be as prestigious as UF or FSU, but here’s a reminder: We’re currently part of building the university’s legacy. And even though it’s a younger institution, it’s on the rise.

We really are the building blocks of this school.

So why should you, a student graduating in a few years, care if it becomes a more respected university?

Because as this school becomes more and more credible, so does your degree. You should care because in the future, a possible employer interviewing you will see that you went to FAU and say, “Great, FAU!” rather than, “FAU, what is that?”

Just put a little bit of passion into this place and I swear it’ll give it right back. What do you have to lose? After all, you’re paying to be here, so you might as well take full advantage of it.

I’m excited to see new faces in the fall, and I hope you use this issue as a guide to your next couple years as an Owl.

See you around campus.

Thomas Chiles • Features Editor

< Return to UP Issue 1 articles