WKU brought in the class of 2027 to participate in the annual MASTER Plan, as well as rejoice in the program’s 30th anniversary. 

Since 1993, MASTER Plan has become an annual event on the Hill. The program offers discussion about topics that students might not normally receive, including “personal goal setting, how to meet new people and make friends in college, how to get involved in campus life, and how to utilize campus resources,” according to WKU. 

One of the opportunities provided to students is the chance to connect with certain professors in a given field. 

“I’m in teaching, I’m a social studies major, so I got to meet a bunch of my professors and department heads today and that was pretty cool,” Scott Forish, a freshman, said. 

Forish is also an education Living Learning Community participant and has found other opportunities to connect with those that are similar to him. 

“I got closer to the people on my floor with the small group sessions. I’m in the education LLC and met a couple people there, and they seem pretty chill,” Forish said. 

Other students say that they have had a similar experience. 

“Participating in MASTER Plan has helped me meet and connect with so many new people, especially those living on my dorm floor,” Caroline Yates, a freshman, said. “We’ve gotten to know each other so much better and it’s great having more familiar faces in the dorm and on campus.”

MASTER Plan also builds a strong sense of community on campus as it connects students together. 

Will Reynolds, sophomore, participated in MASTER Plan in fall 2022 when he was an incoming freshman. He remembered how MASTER Plan networked him to other individuals he might not have had the opportunity of knowing. 

“I was able to meet people inside and outside of my dorm building as well as learn more about campus than I did before coming,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds also found appreciation for the solitude of campus during the week of MASTER Plan.

“My biggest takeaway was being able to explore campus before other students arrived on

campus,” he said.

Yates said that the social events during the week help her branch out to meet new people and introduce different ways to get involved on campus. Social events are an essential part to getting the new class acquainted with college life.

“Last night I got introduced to a whole lot of people. It’s just been fun for the most part, I mean it’s been a lot and busy, but it’s been fun,” Yates said.

The week-long schedule includes informational sessions regarding financial literacy in college and campus safety. Social events are also available allowing students to “create a creature” and participate in silent disco, according to the schedule available on WKU’s website. 

“So many people are going through the same thing,” Yates said. “We’re all new and are looking to make friends, so it’s the perfect time to branch out and start a conversation.”

Reynolds shared that same experience. 

“I think that having an environment with so many people in the same or a similar situation allowed me to make connections that I maybe wouldn’t have otherwise,” Reynolds said. “We all had it in common that we were kind of out of our comfort zone and that helped us bond.”

“I would encourage everyone to not only participate in MASTER Plan, but to really embrace it and make the most out of the experience. You get out what you put in,” Yates said.

News Reporter Maggie Phelps can be reached at [email protected].