Happy Friday, everyone!

First things first, we will start our fall hours starting next week when we get back from Labor Day weekend. As a reminder, the college will be closed on Monday, September 2nd. 

If you are having printer issues and have not seen IT yet, check to see if you have the “March 2024” printer update available on your self-service (the W icon on your WIT computer). The printers that are working are called “Follow_me_printing”. 

Don't forget! Trivia League starts next week! The first session is in the Library at 6:30 on September 3rd.

We have our first guest blog for the semester! Please enjoy.

picture of CLASS advisor, Jennifer McCune

Jennifer McCune, Comet CLASS advisor & Accounting instructor

Welcome to the fall semester, Comets! 

My name is Jennifer McCune and I am the advisor for the Comet CLASS student leadership group and I also teach accounting on campus. I absolutely love it here at WITCC! If you haven’t heard of Comet CLASS before, CLASS stands for Cultivating Leadership, Advocacy, and Student Success. Students can apply to be a student leader through completing an application or through nomination from a faculty or staff member at this link: https://www.witcc.edu/campus-life/student-government/apply/

Our student leaders are heavily invested in student success, and we see that many students desire to connect with other students. How do you build these connections?  We want to help! Below I’ve listed out some tips to help you get to know other students and make new friends.

  1. Don’t be afraid to initiate. Ahh, you were afraid I was going to say that, right? Say hi, smile, and you can always start a conversation by talking about HEFE (hobbies, entertainment, food, environment). For example, if you are in a class together, ask if they have had a chance to start that assignment yet. That class when we talked about xyz was so interesting, what did you think about that? I personally love to find out what people have ordered from Starbucks or the Coffee Spot if they come into class with a drink. It gives us something to talk about, and I also get to learn some new things to try!
  2. Be sure to tell them your name, and ask theirs too! 
  3. Keep the connection going, you’ve put in the work making an initial connection, now build it! Next time you see them, say hi and use their name. If you don’t remember their name, it is OK to ask it again, I promise! Touch on a topic you spoke about initially. Did we get the same order from the Coffee Spot today or trying something new? 
  4. Invite them (even if you think they will say no!) If you see them in the library, ask them if they want to sit with you. Are you attending a campus activity later? Ask them if they want to tag along! Speaking of, have you been to any of our amazing campus activities yet? Our staff have so many fun things planned for this year! Make sure you follow WITCC Student Life on Instagram or Facebook and keep an eye on the events calendar on myWitcc so you know what is coming up!

Building connections and friendships is not as organic as we maybe initially think. To put these tips into practice it may push you out of your comfort zone a little bit, the more you practice the easier it will get.

We are so incredibly happy to have you here at Western Iowa Tech Community College. If Comet CLASS can ever help you, please reach out to us at CometCLASS@witcc.edu. Have a wonderful semester!