Starting college can be a daunting experience. College
is so different from anything experienced in high school,
and the freedom many freshman have is new.

For years, ULM has offered the university seminar and
the summer PREP experience to help students make the
transition from high school to college.
This year, ULM decided to offer something new in
addition to PREP and the University course. Freshmen
and transfer students were invited to attend the Warhawk
Way Summit to get more information before the first day
of classes.
The summit took place in the morning last Monday and
Tuesday. Each student only attended one of these days.
This format allowed for smaller groups of students so that
more questions could be answered.
During the summit, students were introduced to student
leaders, professors and the deans of each college. These
panels answered questions for students and introduced
them to different aspects of college life such as navigating
Moodle and banner, sending emails and time management.
“Having been a ULM freshman
many years ago, I know how nervous,
anxious and excited students are –
and rightfully so,” Meredith McKinnie, assistant director of composition
said. “Tempering those anxieties via
direct contact between students and
professors prior to the first day of
classes shows students that we understand the magnitude

of freshman fears and care to address them.”
Each session offered new advice for students based on
who was present. One professor panel focused on classes
and time management, but another panel focused more
on getting involved and making the best of the years at
ULM to be successful in different professional fields.
The panel of deans focused on introductions and letting
the students know they are available to students during
their time at ULM.
In between these sessions, students were able to participate in trivia games led by SGA President Ethan Estis.
The winners of these competitions were given prizes to
encourage them before their first day at ULM.
Students were excited to participate in the summit and
said that many of the anxieties and questions they had
about their first day were answered at the summit.
Logan Puryear, a freshman pre-nursing major said, “All
of the information and getting to know more of the stuff
has been great.”
The first Warhawk Way Summit was a great success
and will look to continue in the future. Freshmen felt
welcomed into the Warhawk family and better prepared
before they entered their collegiate career.
“It was welcoming and felt like they cared about us,”
Puryear said. “They took the time out of their day to come
and talk to us. I was a little nervous at first, but after this I
feel better.”