6 Ways to Make the Most of Wolfpack Welcome Week
Your first college friends. Your first selfie with a Wuf. Your first taste of Howling Cow ice cream. There's a lot to experience, celebrate and explore during your first week as an NC State student. Let's go.
![Four students smile and hold up the wolfie hand gesture with a large crowd and tents behind them during Packapalooza.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BK-5278_WEB.jpg)
Hello, there! We’re so thrilled to have you joining our Wolfpack that we created an entire week to welcome you to NC State. It’s called, for the sake of clarity, Wolfpack Welcome Week (WWW). We have a lot in store to help you settle into campus, connect with new friends and prepare for a successful first year of college.
But the most exciting thing about WWW is that it’s only the beginning. We want to make sure that you know where to find communities and resources throughout your time at NC State. Read on for sneak peeks, tips and plenty of bucket list experiences you won’t want to miss.
Step One: Go to Some Events
There are dozens of events taking place during WWW. You don’t have to look far to find social gatherings, open houses, tours, performing arts auditions, service activities and more. You can review the full event list and create your own custom schedule using the NC State Guides app.
Here are a few signature events you’ll definitely want to add to your calendar:
- Sunday, Aug. 18 | New Student Convocation
The official kickoff to your first year on campus takes place with thousands of your new classmates and a lot of school spirit. Get fired up for a successful semester, collect your first free NC State T-shirt and take part in your official class photo.
- Sunday, Aug. 18 | RecFest
Check out everything Wellness and Recreation has to offer when you attend RecFest, a highly interactive event with club sports demonstrations, games, food, giveaways and entertainment.
- Thursday, Aug. 22 | Respect the Pack
Our Pack is stronger together. Get to know our campus community and affirm your commitment to equity and inclusion at Respect the Pack. The event includes presentations, panel discussions and the chance to leave your mark on a mural.
![Red laser lights emanating from a stage in the distance project above a crowd of people during Packapalooza with the Memorial Belltower lit in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BK-6118-Enhanced-NR_WEB.jpg)
![Members of the NC State marching band play instruments while wearing matching red shirts as they march in front of Metcalf Hall during Wolfpack Welcome Week.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAH4099_WEB.jpg)
![Students play beach volleyball while crowds of other students watch and walk by.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAH1742_WEB.jpg)
- Thursday, Aug. 22 | Moonlight Howl and Run
The wildest fun walk/run this side of the Krispy Kreme Challenge is the 1.3 mile Moonlight Howl and Run — and it’ll help you get to know our campus.
- Friday, Aug. 23 | Student Involvement Fair
Connect with dozens of student organizations, campus services and academic programs, all in one place. This is a great way to find communities of people who share your passions and interests.
- Saturday, Aug. 24 | Packapalooza
Join us on Hillsborough Street for an all-day block party, street festival, concert and fireworks show! It’s our biggest party of the year, celebrating you — our Wolfpack — and the start of a great school year.
Step Two: Explore Your New Home
While you’re settling in, it’s a great time to familiarize yourself with campus. After you’ve acquainted yourself with your dorm, dining halls, classroom buildings and Talley Student Union, our ten Hallowed Places are an ideal next adventure.
These iconic landmarks could be home to some of your fondest memories:
- Memorial Belltower
- Holladay Hall
- Court of North Carolina
- Mary Yarbrough Court
- The Brickyard
- Lake Raleigh Woods
- Free Expression Tunnel
- Reynolds Coliseum
- College of Veterinary Medicine Pastures
- The Oval
Discover serene resting spots, joyful gathering spaces and historical connections to all the members of the Wolfpack who came before you. It’s all here for you, whenever you need it.
Step Three: Find Your Wolfpack
There’s no shortage of things to get involved in on campus, but how do you find them? Attending the Student Involvement Fair during WWW is a great place to start. But for year-round support, resources and opportunities, check out Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE), our central hub for all things getting-involved on campus.
SLE offers helpful tips, a directory of student organizations, resources for starting your own club, leadership workshops and service activities — plus much more.
Our favorite of their pro tips? It’s okay to not do everything. Pursue the experiences that make sense for you.
If you’re excited to join a student organization (or several), here are some of the more than 750 registered organizations that might pique your interests:
- App Development Club
- Bad Film Club
- BattlePack Robotics Club
- Beekeepers Club
- Citizen Science Club
- Cosplay and Costuming Club
- Dancing With Wolves Ballroom Dance Club
- Discomfort Club
- Esports Club
- Fungi Appreciation and Mycology
- Hike More, Worry Less
- Pack in Animation
- Students for the Exploration and Development of Space
- Sustainable Entrepreneurship Club
- Swifties at NC State
- TableTop Gamers Club
- The Origami Club
- Uninhibited Praise Gospel Choir
Student Media
Join one of our six student-produced media organizations: Agromeck yearbook, Nubian Message newspaper, Roundabout magazine, Technician newspaper, Windhover literary journal and WKNC 88.1 FM.
Get hands-on experience
Club Sports
Our 50+ club sports are student-led and may be recreational, competitive or a combination of both, while promoting leadership, service and engagement. We also offer open recreational and intramural sports.
Join a team
Arts Ensembles
More than 500 students representing every college participate in dance companies, vocal and instrumental ensembles each semester. We have for-credit and club ensembles, and auditions are open to all students.
Perform your heart out
![Students with paint on their gloved hands press them against a mural that reads "Respect the Pack" to leave their handprints on the wall.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BK-4547_WEB.jpg)
![A girl rides a mechanical bull outdoors during Packapalooza.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/BK-5203_WEB.jpg)
![At New Student Convocation, a member of the NC State Dance Team holds pom poms while dancing in an aisle with crowds of students seated all around her and other dancers in the background.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAH8386_WEB.jpg)
Step Four: Crush Your First Classes
We know you want to set yourself up for a strong start on your degree program. Be sure to attend a College Connections event during WWW to get to know your academic home on campus.
New Student Convocation is also a can’t-miss WWW event, especially if you feel in need of a new-school-year pep talk and a peer support group that’s more than 5,000 strong.
This week is a good time to start scouting out your new favorite study spots. For those drawn to indoor conveniences like whiteboards, comfortable chairs and running water, we’d recommend the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, the D.H. Hill Library or Talley Student Union. If you like to commune with nature while you review course materials, try the Court of North Carolina or the Oval on Centennial Campus.
For days when you need a little extra help, be sure to check out the Academic Success Center for tutoring, peer mentoring and writing support. You can make an appointment online or check out their drop-in tutoring, academic advising and career counseling services.
![Two students push a cart full of their belongings along a sidewalk outside of a dorm during move-in.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAH0281.jpg)
Step Five: Lighten Your Pack
Nothing is more important than your well-being. Tapping into wellness resources early and often will help you achieve your goals and keep you feeling your best throughout your time here.
We encourage you to invest care into these six elements of wellness and seek support as needed.
Purpose
Some students come in knowing exactly what they want to do. Others don’t. Our academic advisors can help you navigate your path. You can also check out the Academic Success Center for tutoring and coaching.
Access academic supports
Physical
Wellness starts with taking good care of your body through nutrition, exercise, sleep and health care visits. Our Campus Health center offers accessible, quality care and routine visits are covered by student fees.
Care for your health
Financial
Pack Essentials offers programs to support students in need of food, housing, financial and educational security, including Feed the Pack food pantry, legal aid and the Student Emergency Fund.
See how we can help
Emotional
The Counseling Center provides mental health services and resources to students, including drop-in support and counselors embedded within colleges to make help accessible where you need it.
Find a counselor or resource
Social
Establishing strong social connections is essential to your well-being. You can start by attending a wellness event to relax, recharge and meet other students who are looking to grow their Wolfpack.
Attend a wellness event
Community
Finding your communities will make our large university feel smaller. Community centers, drop-in spaces and inclusive programs provide gathering spaces and a sense of belonging on campus.
Locate your communities
Step Six: Borrow What You Need (Plus That Robot Cat)
It can be hard — some might say impossible — to fit everything you need into a dorm room. If you’re wrestling with where to store your kayak while you’re in Raleigh, wrestle no further. You can borrow one!
All across campus, there are lending programs that connect you with equipment and materials you need to live your best NC State life. You can access technology and other devices through the NC State University Libraries that can aid in academic and personal projects. Students enrolled in music courses can borrow instruments. Wellness and Recreation offers fitness equipment and outdoor adventure gear rentals. The Crafts Center offers studio access for students taking craft classes or via a membership fee.
Here are just a few of the many interesting things you can borrow, to help you explore, create, investigate, relax and discover:
- Cameras, lenses and accessories
- Coolers
- DJ controllers and turntables
- Frisbee golf discs
- Handheld microscopes
- Human skeleton models
- Laptops
- Pickleball nets, paddles and balls
- Presentation practice remotes
- Robotic therapy cats
- Smart glasses
- Stand-up paddleboards
- Tents
- VR headsets and controllers
![](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAH8541_WEB.jpg)
![Two students smile for the camera while holding up a cardboard frame that reads "Back2School Jam, @ncstatebsb".](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/back2school_jam-1706_WEB.jpg)
![Chancellor Woodson and another NC State employee laugh with students and their families while they assist with moving in items to a dormitory.](https://news.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MAH8163_WEB.jpg)
We hope this helped you feel a little more prepared for what’s in store this week and throughout your first year at NC State. No matter what, know that someone is always available to help you — that’s what it means to be part of the Wolfpack.
Now, go out there and Think and Do things no one has thought and done before.
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