Author Archives: saph

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Unofficial Orientation 2022: First Year Classes

This is an update of un meli-melo’s post which was an update of Jackson‘s post from 2015, which was an update of skorn‘s post from 2014. Which was an update of DaPope‘s post from 2013. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, or some shit like that, right?

 

This is part of our 2022 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

Take a nice deep breath in; at this point you’re either on-campus or just days away.  The excitement is tangible, new campus, new room, new people.  Before you get too wrapped up in your new freedom let’s talk about the real excitement: Your courses, the splendid garden that is Wesmaps, and what this year might be like academically.

I myself remember being confused by the process of choosing and then actually signing up for that class during my first semester so, hopefully, this post can provide a little clarity on the whole subject (and not the opposite).  Worst comes to worst just remember that most first-year classes are fairly big and your chances of getting into them are pretty high.

On that happy note, let’s dive right into this abyss!

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Unofficial Orientation 2022: Eating and Drinking Things At Wes

This post is an updated version of Sam’s update which was an updated version of wilk’s Eating and Drinking orientation article.

This is part of our 2022 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

Eating and drinking is a necessity for all living beings, even during your hazy college days. While we all have to adjust our food standards from delicious home-cooked meals to university food, trust me, it could be worse. This year Wesleyan is ranked #15 (we were demoted from #7, sad) in college food on Niche out of all the colleges in the U.S. so you know it’s going to be good. Wes has many options for dining that you can enjoy regardless of your dietary orientation. We’re even ranked #2 by One Green Planet for Most Vegan-Friendly Colleges. There’s a plethora of awesome vegan food and our friends at the Mongolian Grill are always willing to cook up a chicken tortilla topped with cheese if it’s protein that you want.

This is the part of the orientation series where we remind you to eat your veggies.

 

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Unofficial Orientation 2022: Middletown Outings

This is an update of Meli’s update of wilk‘s update of his previous post!

This is part of our 2022 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

Toto, we’re not in Bushwick anymore. You’ve now left the comfort of deep Brooklyn, as they call it, for the not-so-dissimilar milieu of Wesleyan. Just kidding, a vast majority of Weskids are from not-Brooklyn, not-LA, and not-Bay-Area, although it might seem otherwise.

For all of you from those (wonderful) places, and all of you from other places, Middletown is different than those places (shocking!). It was once the largest city in Connecticut, circa pre-war-of-1812. Can your hometown claim that title? Nah. Unless you’re from Middletown, in which case you are probably way more qualified than me to write this post.

While Wesleyan is fine and there is usually never a shortage of things to do on campus, Middletown and the surrounding area truly have some wonderful gems that are worth knowing about as you settle in and look for things to do other than vape on Foss.

And if you’re really bold and somehow have an abundance of time before finals arrive, there’s some cool shit beyond the local area too. Here’s our 2022 Outing guide!

 

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Unofficial Orientation 2022: Dorm Living FAQ

Holly and Xue wrote the first version of this post in 2006 and it has been reposted every year since then. Dorm Life never changes much. Unless Fauver becomes Bennett (wow this joke is old). (Or unless Clark goes on fire a few times) (Or unless the Butts get flooded on Night 1)

Pictured: A bright-eyed young freshman shakes his groove thang, eager to impress his lofty peers. Taken by Rachel Pincus '13.

Pictured: A bright-eyed young freshman shakes his groove thang, eager to impress his lofty peers. Taken by Rachel Pincus ’13.

This is part of our 2022 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

Dear frosh of 2026,

As you are probably fretting about your first day of college, a sense of melancholy (or jittery excitement and increased WesAdmits activity, if you hated high school) has creeped up on you. Are you making lists of toiletries and getting boxes from Staples to pack your life into? Wondering how much action your soon-to-be bed has gotten in the past? A lot, probably.

But don’t be too frazzled. Before you finish your housing form, get your roommate(s) assignment, and make dorm Facebook groups that no one will check after October, Wesleying‘s here to answer your 40ish most pressing questions related to waking-up-and-instantly-having-200-or-so-of-your-peers-to-hang-out-with.

The pertinent FAQ doesn’t change much from year to year, so we tend to update/repost much of the original guide by Norse Goddess Holly-and-Xue ’08 (cuz it’s still damn good and we’re still damn lazy) every year. This re-vamped guide is up to date and full of Wesleyan lingo:

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Unofficial Orientation 2022: Welcome!

the above photograph was created with official photoshop software and certainly not instagram

 

Heya class of 2026!

(or you oldies— you’re welcome too)

So it has finally hit you: we’re almost halfway through August and you can no longer pretend you’re not going to college in a month. Maybe you’re asking all the basic (yet still terrifying) questions: What’s it like to share a bathroom with people of all genders? Why does everyone keep pronouncing it wezleyan when there’s an s? Should I hookup with someone on my floor? (hint: not unless you hate yourself). Or maybe you’re beyond excited and can’t wait to arrive at school. Maybe it’s even a little bit of both at the same time. Whether you’re hyperventilating on your childhood bedroom floor whilst clutching a picture of your high school friend group or bouncing off the walls with joyous anticipation, Wesleying is here to help with all your pre-departure needs. 

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Procrastination Destination: Buzzfeed Edition

Hello fellow procrastinators! While it may be easy as hell to procrastinate, sometimes the regular ol’ routine (switching between snapchat, youtube, and instagram) can get slightly boring, so I’m here to switch things up…we’re adding buzzfeed to the mix. Enjoy my favorite quizzes, lads, as they’re sure to swallow up at least twenty minutes of your time:

 

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Demystifying the Wes Covid Experience: Life at the Middletown Inn

Are you eternally unsatisfied with the mystery that is quarantine in the inn?  Can you simply not fall asleep at night because you’re just so curious about what those covid people are doing that whole time?? 

If your answer was yes, I welcome you. If it was no…well too bad, because I’m gonna tell you anyway. Welcome to behind the scenes: a day in the life of a Middletown Inn covid patient. 

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Ranking Wes Kombucha Options: an Odyssey of Fermented Exploration

Hello my friends! And welcome to the ultimate Wesleyan kombucha guidebook. Maybe you’re a complete kombucha newbie and you just need some, shall we say, guidance on how to navigate the minefield that is kombucha (it can be very intimidating, I understand). Or maybe you’re a long-time kombucha drinker, and you just want to make sure your favorites are properly recognized (which, if you believe they were not, I extend absolutely no apologies—you need to re-evaluate your taste buds, love). Either way, you’ve come to the right place. I tried every last kombucha option Wesleyan has to offer, and have curated a ranking meticulously based on very strict criteria: looks, taste, and what I call the Kombucha Komponent (like component but with a K—get it?) 

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WE’RE GETTING VACCINATED

Let it be known that at approximately 4:21 PM on March 31st, 2021, the entire student body of Wesleyan University could be heard giving a collective sigh of relief.

Why, you may ask? Well I am pleased to announce (drum roll please)…

They’re vaccinating all on-campus students.

It’s just a quick trip to Wesportal and a click on the bright red “Schedule COVID-19 Vaccination” at the top of your screen. From there fill out the form and presto, you’re good to go! Now all you have to do is wait in agony for the next 24 days, 16 hours, and 12 minutes!

But hey, who’s counting?

So hop to it, and happy vaccinating my friends!

Read the text of the all campus email after the break:

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