7 Things You Need to Know to be a Successful CALS Student

You’ve finished unpacking, smiled for your ID photo and eaten your first meal in the dining hall. Classes have started, and you’re officially a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences student. You’ve worked hard to get to this point (congrats!) and now it’s time to rock your first year in CALS. Here are a few tips that might come in handy along the way:

1. Get out there. Grab the new friends you met at Packapalooza and explore campus. Check out the view from the top of D.H. Hill Library on Hillsborough Street or chow down at the many restaurants in Talley Student Union. And don’t miss everything Centennial Campus has to offer, from Lake Raleigh to the architectural wonder that is Hunt Library.

2. Download the NC State On Campus app. Check your schedule, track down a bus, get dining hall information and more. The app’s campus map will be your best friend (and nobody will know you’re lost when you sneak a peek at it on your phone). You can also see how far away your bus is and watch it move toward your stop. The busiest Wolfline routes are usually Avent Ferry, Gorman Street and the Southeast Loop. Bus rides are free. Just don’t forget to pull the cord for your stop!

3. Reach out to a CALS Ambassador. These student leaders represent the college at events on and off campus. They’re also here to help you. Connect with an ambassador to ask questions or get some advice.

4. Get the scoop on Howling Cow. As a CALS student, it’s one of your unofficial duties to eat Howling Cow ice cream. Our ice cream is produced right here on campus, and you can find it in a number of spots. There are scoop shops in Talley Student Center, D.H. Hill Library and Hunt Library. You can pick up a pint at the Bragaw and Honors Village C Stores, as well as at Wolf Village Apartments. If you need a tub or mini-cups for parties or tailgate, visit the creamery in Schaub Hall.

5. Bookmark the CALS Academic Programs website. Check out the college’s wide variety of majors and minors, as well as clubs and organizations, honor societies, study abroad and other opportunities. You can also schedule an appointment with your adviser and contact a CALS Ambassador through this site.

6. Don’t let your mini fridge become a science experiment. Food safety isn’t just a college program, it’s an issue in all too many dorm rooms and apartments. Keep an eye on expiration dates and toss that spoiled milk. When you vacate for holidays and breaks, empty your fridge. Otherwise, you’ll come back to a smelly situation. Clean those water bottles with dish soap, even if you have to use the dorm bathroom sink. There are a number of water bottle refill stations across campus, so toting your own is a good idea. And after you knock off your midnight pizza, toss the leftovers (along with pizza boxes, napkins and plates) into one of the Pizza Box Composting Project dumpsters on campus.

7. Stay connected. Follow the college on Twitter (@NCStateCALS), Instagram (@NCStateCALS) and Facebook (@CALSNCState). You can also keep up with CALS Dean Richard Linton on Twitter (@CALS_dean).