Personal testimonies

SENSE OF COMMUNITY

Sophia:

I think this project really was important to pursue because it revealed an actual issue of lack of
career direction felt within a community that I had always thought was a problem that only I was
feeling. It was nice to know that when it felt like all my peers had their life together and I was the
only one struggling due to lack of aptitude in some way, or ‘laziness’, that it was an issue that
many others also felt as well. It would have been nice to know earlier so I did not feel so lonely
and it would’ve been even nicer to have a program like ours which offers solutions.
Reorientation would've meant a space where I (hopefully) would've been able to find more
direction for my post grad life as well as backup options which would have significantly
decreased my stress and anxiety during college. Especially in a cross-cultural household where
my mom was not familiar with the US college experience, and my dad never went, so not only
was asking them for help or direction not an option, but I was particularly self reliant despite also
knowing something. It would have saved a lot of time from having to figure things out due to
trial and error. UWB in particular felt like the wild west for the most part and I hated it.

Anna:

Over my four years at three different colleges I have struggled with both of the issues we hope to
address with our reorientation, those being poor sense of community and lack of major/career
direction. I can personally attest that it is easier and more comfortable to go with the status quo
by doing school alone than it is to take the social risk of reaching out to peers for connection. But
I’ve noticed over these past few years that I perform better in school when I’m personally
invested in it, and that requires friendships. It took me a while (too long) to realize how
interconnected these factors are. Especially now that school is mainly back in-person, no one has
to take on the challenges of college alone. There is more joy AND more success in school when
it’s a communal experience and no one has to miss out on that.
Calvin:

Throughout all my years at UWB I struggled to have a sense of belonging on the campus which
made it difficult to connect with other students that attended the same school as me. I feel like a
reorientation program would’ve been beneficial for me to know my peers who were in the same
major and help me have a better sense of belonging. The Community Psychology major does not
have any type of orientation that connects other students to each other and in re-orientation
would encourage me to take advantage of all the available resources to me and become more
integrated on campus with activities and events.

FIRST GEN
Karen:
Being a first generation college student comes with a lot of time management and
responsibilities. I think having a reorientation would’ve helped me feel more welcomed and
involved with the campus. Coming into a college setting is a weird thing as a first-gen student;
entering college was strange and unfamiliar especially being new to the situation and having no
one to give me advice on how to navigate my way through. Simple tasks such as finding my
classrooms and faculty offices, I found difficult and it made me feel like a fool. Developing
friendships and making connections with my peers was the worst of it all because I ended up
doing all the classwork and homework by myself. I often found myself struggling with imposter
syndrome and it left me feeling like an outcast especially because my closest people (meaning
my family) couldn’t aid me through this new journey.

COVID-19

Grayson:
As a graduating senior this quarter, this quarter is my first and last of doing on-campus learning
at UW Bothell. Prior to this quarter, I was very excited about returning to classes in person, but
my first day back was challenging. Since this quarter was my first time doing on-campus
learning, it was my first time being on the campus. Without knowing it, I parked as far as I
possibly could from my class that day, and I struggled to find my class. After I finished my class
and made my way home, I thought it was funny that I was there as a senior, but I was left feeling
like a freshman. This experience is what led me to realize that there was a lack of community
and guidance on the campus.

Karen:
From being a transfer student and now a graduation senior, a Junior year psychology
reorientation would be super beneficial as coming back to in person teaching was as if it was my
freshman year. I didn’t get the experience of college prior to COVID and lost the opportunity to
create bonds with classmates. But being a commuter campus I’ve noticed that many students just
come to class and leave, so this reorientation would make students feel part of the campus which
would encourage them to be more involved, make use of their resources, and build friendships.

Andrew:
I believe that a junior year reorientation would allow students who did not get the “college
experience” because of the pandemic to connect with others whether it be their classmates and/or
professors.I have been a student at UWB for 4 years now and I have gone through many major
changes that ultimately has given me doubt about my career and what I want to do with my life.
With a reorientation, it would have helped me decide what classes to take and what career path I
would end up choosing. Having a reorientation would also allow students like me to make
connections with others and have a sense of community and belonging at UWB. Knowing that I
am a shy person who does not pursue talking with others and meeting new people, the
reorientation program can be a way where I can go beyond my comfort zone and make that
connection.

MAJOR/CAREER DIRECTION

Jocelyn:
I believe a Junior Year Orientation Program would have been beneficial to my college
experience in numerous ways that range from general knowledge about my major, to familiarity
within UWB itself. Applying as a Psychology major straight out of high school was extremely
intimidating to me and I felt lost in regards to registering for classes and even just finding my
classroom. My peers were mostly involved in STEM programs where they felt secure in their
decision and had no problem registering for classes, whereas I felt little to no guidance in my
transition. If I was given the opportunity to attend such an event, it would have given me the
push I needed to meet others within my major or talk to faculty about my future classes.

Dounia:
Personally, I believe that a junior year psychology reorientation would be greatly beneficial. I
would not have gone into psychology if I did not have someone to guide me through my
schooling, and feel incredibly lucky to have that privilege. There are so many career options that
can be found in the scope of psychology and so many different majors offered by graduate
schools that I was never aware were even options. I also wish there were more opportunities for
experience and work to better prepare us for graduate school and build our academic resumes, it
is incredibly difficult to find any as an undergraduate student, especially as one that works full
time outside of school.

Noura:
In every part throughout my experiences with orientations in colleges, I have never really had
nor attended an orientation and it has caused me so much stress with my studies at school. When
stepping right through University of Washington Bothell as a transfer student in January 2022, in
the middle of a school year, I would’ve thought and also had an expectation of attending an in-
school orientation and getting to know the school and my major more and better. I never thought
I would feel so lost in between all the IAS majors, especially not knowing anyone in community
psychology major, which is what I’m majoring in.. and I certainly still don’t know anyone until I
applied for this current class and noticed that most of my classmates are having the same similar
struggles as I am having. At this type of situation, a reorientation is needed and required for
transfer students and importantly all students because I am entering senior year and I still feel
unguided for what path is this community psychology major leading me on in my next steps. It
will also give me and other community psychology major students a better sense of belonging
into making future connections and goals further on.

Edwin:
For me I wish that I had the opportunity for a reorientation geared towards Community
Psychology majors because though I knew I wanted to study psychology, I never had the
resources needed to further my development as a student within the academic psychology field.
The resources I’m referring to that I felt like I needed were a strong network of people within my
major, mentors that could guide me towards career choices, and a community that looked out for
one another academically and professionally. I believe that if I had those resources readily
available to me once I started my academic journey as a Community Psychology major, I would
have been more involved within the campus community once we were able to return but I would
also have a stronger connection with my peers and faculty as well. Ultimately, a reorientation for
community psych majors would have prepared me better to transition into the real world and
have a strong network to leave with once I graduate.

Raquel:
As soon as I transferred to UWB, I was uncertain about being at campus and gaining a sense of
community since I transferred during the pandemic. I think in this situation especially a
reorientation would have helped me familiarize myself with my major, professors, and career
opportunities. Though there are events going on during the school, it's hard to do them when you
feel alone or not as experienced as others. The community psychology major can branch off into
so many things when it comes to careers and education, so being guided in the right direction
based on my interests would have greatly helped me achieve. My sense of community for the
majority of the school year was almost non-existent as it was hard to get to know other students,
especially to have to be the one to push myself to do so. As soon as I entered classes that
embraced its community and talked about what we could do to make it better was when I felt at
ease. I hope in the future students can have a reorientation program to help them get access to
resources and make connections.

Helina;

A program like this woud benefit students like me who are not born and raised here, who have
friends that they have grown up with overseas. I really struggled with developing the skills to
make friends. I gave up at one point because I was tired of the hesitation of my desire to make
friends. During the time I was trying to meet new people, it would give me anxiety because I
didn’t feel like I belonged here, aside for the fact that I am paying to go to school here. A
program like this would help the upcoming freshmans who may not be completely ready for
networking by guiding them through this major transition. This will help them to relax and enjoy
what they have in common with other people in a non constricted way. This would also be a
great place to learn from their peers.

TRANSFER STUDENT
Selene:
After transferring from Cascadia College to UWB back in 2018, I have felt a disconnect right
away on this campus. One I felt at Cascadia, but was hoping once I moved to UWB would
diminish. Since I never got an orientation and never attended any event that fosters true bonding
and built that sense of community, I always felt a lack of connection to not only the campus but
the people on it. Especially since I moved here from abroad and went straight into Cascadia
College, I had no sense of direction and felt that I had no one to talk to. It would have been very
beneficial and helped me feel like I belong, if there was a reorientation, because now I’m about
to graduate in Fall 2022 and I still find myself conflicted on what to do after graduation.

Madi:
As a transfer student, I’ve gotten the opportunity to experience the psychology program at both
the large state school environment of Oregon State University, and the smaller commuter school
of University of Washington Bothell. While my experience at the two universities were very
different, I noticed similarities in the lack of attention given to students in the psychology major.
Despite being a major that is based on human connection and community, psychology majors are
often disconnected from each other, with their only opportunities to connect taking place during
class lectures. The lack of activities and community events for psychology students inspired me
to start the “Psyched Out” club at OSU, an organization based on providing events for students
to learn more about psychology through guest speakers and faculty presentations, as well as
social events to encourage networking between members of their major. Upon leaving behind
this club and transferring to UWB, I couldn’t help but notice the Psychology program here
falling into the same pitfalls, only exacerbated by the negative impact that COVID-19 had on
social connection amongst the student body. This inspired me and fellow members of my cohort
to plan an annual event to directly address these concerns, in the form of the junior year
psychology re-orientation program. The event is a solution to a problem that plagues psychology
programs across the nation and beyond, to give upperclassmen psychology students an
opportunity to connect or reconnect with their peers, as well as importantly get them re-
energized about their major!