A guide to your First Year as a Badger Engineer
All events & activities below welcome first-year students.
Not sure which events to start with? Look for a ‘⭐’
A star means it’s a Signature Event, events designed specifically for first-year students!
Academics
There are no upcoming events.
Career
There are no upcoming events.
Community
There are no upcoming events.
Wellness
There are no upcoming events.
BE Engaged First Month Checklist
Community
⭐ Go to Engineering Bash- Tuesday 9/2 at 4:30-6:30! Meet current engineering students and get connected to 60+ engineering student organizations! Attend the UW Student Organization fair to see more than 1000 orgs on campus.
Stop by the Engineering Student Center on Friday, 9/5 for Cheers to Engineers- a fall semester kickoff with root beer floats! And, come to the Student Center anytime to study, eat lunch with other students, or just relax.
Connect with others – Introduce yourself to someone new, attend events, go to an org meeting.
Academic
Meet with your academic advisor– A relationship with your advisor and reaching out when you have questions is important. Learn how to schedule an appointment with your advisor using Starfish.
Visit the Undergraduate Learning Center– The ULC will support you academically and is a great place to meet friends and form study groups. Attend drop-in tutoring or other ULC events.
Go to office hours- Show up, ask questions, and engage with your professors and TAs. They have insight into career options, research opportunities, can give advice, help you make connections, and more!
Career
Enroll in the Canvas Course “Exploring Engineering Careers” to learn more about engineering majors and careers
⭐ Attend Career Fair Prep Week workshops- Sunday, 9/7 to Friday, 9/12 – to build your resume, review your resume, learn about Handshake, and get tips for navigating your first career fair.
Attend the Engineering Career Fair– September 15-18 on the engineering campus. Meet employers and explore the many career options available to Badger engineers
Wellness
Bookmark the Wellness page, so you can find the best resources when you need them, including Engineering Wellness Lunch and Learn workshops happening this semester.
Consider Engineering Let’s Talk drop-ins where you can discuss anything impacting your wellbeing and get advice and support.
Find balance- Visit a RecWell center, relax with friends, and make time to do things you enjoy.
“Students who are involved in activities outside of the classroom set themselves up for opportunities to gain experiences in leadership, conflict resolution, presentation skills, planning & time management, hands-on problem-solving, real-world application of classroom theory, and getting them out of their comfort zone."
Milwaukee Tool Recruiter, Engineer, UW Alum
First Year Student Resources
See calendar above for all events that welcome first year students.
Academics
Supports your exploration of engineering disciplines and provides access to resources developed to support rigorous academic requirements.
First-Year Resources:
Career
Programs designed to develop your career skills, build engineering experiences, and facilitate exploration of majors and career paths with an engineering degree.
First-Year Resources:
First-Year Guide to Career Success Booklet
Community
Fostering your connections to the UW-Madison engineering community through student organizations, social activities and professional events.
First -Year Resources:
Wellness
Develops your life-skills and provides access to wellness resources critical to transitioning to the College of Engineering.
First-Year Resources:
Let’s Talk No-cost, informal, confidential consultations on campus and virtually
UHS Connecting Badgers Podcast
CoE Wellness & Wellbeing Resource Page
Thrive Workshops Presented by UHS. Thrive Workshops offers students opportunities to build skills and gain tools to support academics performance, relationships, and overall wellbeing.
BE Engaged
Classes, homework, and studying are just the beginning of what you’ll need to succeed as a Badger Engineer. As a student, getting involved, connected, and engaged are as important to your success as your courses. Here in the College of Engineering, you have access to a wide variety of groups, opportunities, organizations and services that will help you build a foundation for your success as a student.
The Badger Engineers (BE) Engaged program empowers students to engage, learn, and thrive in the College of Engineering and the greater community. BE Engaged works in collaboration with engineering resources and departments to provide impactful experiences that cultivate engagement and belonging, and foster a sense of community for Badger Engineers. BE Engaged is a collection of programs, policies, and practices that support students in developing success in four core areas: academic, career, community, and wellness.
“Being involved in extracurricular activities has allowed me to develop communication skills that were valuable when I first started my internship. The projects I have completed in the club I am in were also great for supplying talking points during interviews.”
~Virginia, Junior, Nuclear Engineering
Submit an event for BE Engaged
Submit an event idea for first-year students
Questions about BE Engaged? Contact Olivia Lemke at oklemke@wisc.edu