OWL Talks

Going off to college can mean big changes for many students. But for transfer students, adapting to the changes can seem impossible. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when you’re interested in transferring to a new school and what to remember once you get on a new campus.

College means change, and not just for students. Parents are in for their own challenges right after the kids graduate from high school. Being prepared is the key to an easy transition for both parents and students when the time comes to send your kid off to college.

 Interning, It’s a lot more than fetching coffee and making copies. Watch these students make their passion part of their degree program at Westfield State. There are over 300 area businesses, schools and organizations that have at least one Westfield State student on the part-time staff. This means there are over 300 Westfield students learning invaluable on-the-job training every year. Read on below to find out how you can be one of them and get the most out of your college experience.

Classes are all picked out. The dorm room is unpacked. You even mapped out the fastest way to get around campus. What’s next? You might be asking yourself this a lot as you head into your freshmen year at Westfield State University. If you’re anything like thousands of our students, the answer might be “Get Involved!” Read on to learn about how you can become a student leader.

One of the most exciting possibilities open to students at Westfield is the chance to study abroad. Students can spend weeks, months, or even a full year in a different country where they can earn college credit, increase their intercultural understanding, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Some freshmen are blessed with knowing exactly what they want to do with their lives. They have a plan, they know which departments to enter, and they can easily find resources on how to get where they want to go.

As the only public college in New England to offer a bachelor’s degree in regional planning, Westfield State has a solid history of educating and training successful planners that dates back to 1983. Key in this work by the Geography and Regional Planning Program—known as GARP—is the University’s connection to Tim Brennan, the executive director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC).

A shortage of master of social work (MSW) programs in the Worcester area, combined with a high demand for that degree there, led Westfield State University into a collaboration with the YWCA Central Massachusetts in Worcester. “This partnership has a natural synergy,” says Shelley Tinkham, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate and Continuing Education. “This is a unique model. It is very powerful.”

Each year, over 6,000 students spend time at Westfield State University. Lucky for them, the campus sits on over 250 acres of pristine New England landscape. There’s also 24 academic and administrative buildings plus 9 residence halls to spend time in. But what if students are looking to spend time off campus? Well, they won’t have to go too far.