Becoming part of the A&S Wired LLP is to this day one of the best choices I have ever made. This is not because I was given a fancy new iPad, and a guaranteed spot in a suite style dorm, but because I met some of the most amazing people, and felt like I was actually known in the huge sea of students at UK. Being part of Wired gave me the opportunity to become part of an actual small community that throughout my freshman year became more of a family. It never failed that someone else from Wired was in one of my classes, and I always saw someone to say greet when walking around campus. I met some of my best friends through wired, that I otherwise may never have known (despite the fact that we had gone to rivalry high schools and lived twenty minutes apart out entire lives). These are friendships that I will have forever regardless of where we may go in our futures. When looking ahead, I see these friends at my wedding, sharing family vacations, and reliving our best days as Wildcats at college reunions.  Any incoming freshman that is traveling far from home, feeling clueless about the college life, or just interested in meeting new people they have something in common with should consider joining Wired.

As a student from a small town, and small school, I was terrified about moving to Lexington and being part of such a huge student body and campus. My best friends from home were all going to different schools, and I was extremely nervous about meeting new people that I would connect with. After learning about the LLP’s I decided to apply. From the first day of move in, I met people that I could relate to in one way or another, and I loved that I was in a smaller dorm so that almost every face became familiar fairly quickly. The staff and directors of the program wanted everyone to be as involved with the program as possible.  There were constantly things going on in the dorm to foster fun community building and keep students entertained. To help with classes, we had tutors from around campus come to the dorm and had study events to help us through those late night midterms and finals study sessions. My peer mentor was there to answer any question I might have, and to encourage me with stories from her freshman year when I might be feeling stressed about tests and assignments or just homesick. Overall Wired helped me to form a UK family when I might otherwise have remained one of those shy students floating through my undergraduate education.

The Wired program encouraged me to become involved in the university as well. My peer mentor helped me so much with the transition to college life that I wanted to help new freshmen as well. I became a K Crew leader sophomore year, and also became a peer mentor for the Wired program! I have never been so proud to call myself a member of a community and look forward to continuing to build my Wired relationships and friendships for years to come!

If you clicked on the link to this article, there is a very good chance that you have already at least heard of A&S Wired. There is also a good chance you know that A&S Wired is one of several organizations that the University of Kentucky refers to as “living-learning communities.” At this point, you may think to yourself, “This all sounds good, but what exactly is the point of A&S Wired?” I wondered this very same thing during the college selection process while I was looking at UK and first heard of A&S Wired. After being a part of the program for nearly two years now, I have realized that A&S Wired can be described in detail by looking at the three words that make up its title – “living”, “learning”, and “community.”

When you think about “living” in context with your freshman year of college, your first thoughts are probably directly related to dorm life. Dorm life is a completely new concept for most people, and as such, it can be a bit intimidating. All students in the A&S Wired program live in the same dorm, which means you aren’t the only person having to get used to this new lifestyle. The RAs in the dorm are very aware that the majority of the residents in the halls will be freshmen, so they are always willing and able to help out with anything while you’re trying to transition between college and home life.

Although college is an incredibly exciting experience, especially at the beginning of your freshman year, you must remember the primary reason for college – learning. A&S Wired offers several sections of many freshman-level general education classes in chemistry, and English, just to name a few. In these classes, you will go to the same lecture as everyone else, but your recitation groups will be much smaller and more focused. You will get much more individual attention than in a normal class, which should translate into a better grasp of the subject. As an added bonus, these recitation classes will all meet in the A&S Wired dorm.

That’s right, these classes will come to you, not the other way around.

Outside of class, A&S Wired makes it extremely easy to form study groups with your colleagues. You will never have to look very far to find someone in the same class or classes as you. All of these things are sure to set you up for success during your first semester.

Everything that A&S Wired does for its students make it more than just a simple program; it creates a community of students that are all going through the same experience. You will make friends from everywhere between downtown Lexington to the other side of the country. I have made more connections in my first year in Wired than I have at any other point in my life, and they have all helped in some way at some point. A&S Wired will not only make your transition to college much easier, it will make your first year of college one of the best years of your life and one that you will definitely never forget. 

How A&S Wired will change your academic career

By: Andrea Richard

It’s your freshman year at UK.

You may be thousands of miles away from home, a few hours away, or live right down the block. Your entire high school may ‘bleed blue,’ or, you may be one of two. You’ll encounter several new faces throughout your first few weeks, yet will remember only a few. A&S Wired unites first-year students of similar majors, with similar interests, all with the common goal of achieving academic success.

The people you live with are students you’ll sit next to in your biology classes, math classes and English classes too. You study together, brainstorm with each other, and learn from one another as well. Wired is the support system each freshman wishes to have when stepping foot on the college campus.        

The professors who teach the required A&S (Arts and Sciences) and WRD (Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Media) classes challenge students to think critically. Though the rigor may at times be frustrating, it is in these classes that students develop the study and time management skills that shape the type of college student they will become. In the process, students may find they discover types of intelligence they never knew they had. Truly, A&S professors are dedicated to student success.

In addition to the professors, students are also assigned residential advisors and peer mentors who are at their disposal.

Wired’s residential advisors do a magnificent job uniting the community. Where the A&S professors develop students into intellectual beings, the RA’s teach students how to be tolerant of social and cultural differences amongst students by hosting educational programs that challenge inappropriate or discriminatory actions in the residence hall - a reminder that no matter what a student’s background, we are all wildcats.

Peer mentors are typically second-year students who completed the living learning program the year before. “These students encourage freshmen to get involved on campus, develop effective study habits, utilize on-campus resources and communicate with their professors. These students are also responsible for helping to organize community programs, both social and academic, in collaboration with the residential advisors (RAs).”

To learn more about the role of the peer mentor, you can read a former article, ‘Peer Mentors: The Heart of the Living Learning Program’, posted on the College of Arts and Sciences website.

Wired is more than a year-long program. Wired is a living community, a learning community, but most importantly a family.  

If you ‘See Blue,’ you should ‘See A&S Wired’ too. 

Post by: Grant Austin

I think that I would have been totally lost without the Wired program. I came from out of state, and not out of state like Ohio or Tennessee, I came from Minnesota. This means that I came into college without any of my high school friends and without the ability to visit home more than twice a year. This was, to say the least, daunting, but thankfully I had applied to live in the A&S Wired Living Leaning Program. I would not trade my experience in Wired for anything, because it gave me what I needed more than anything else that first year: a community. From move-in day to moving out, I was constantly being impressed by the ways that the residents of Keeneland Hall bonded together and helped each other. In the hall, I made some of my best friends that I have in college. More than that, everybody in the hall was willing to go the extra mile for his or her fellow resident, whether it be folding someone’s laundry instead of just leaving it in a pile if you needed the dryer, to being able to loan something like a hairdryer to a neighbor. It was these little things that made the Wired Community so close and so much fun to be a part of. If weren’t for the Wired Community I don’t think that I would have been able to succeed in my first year of college.

Post by: Icyana Abner

As time nears for you all to make huge decisions that will affect your future to come, one thing most people forget about is community. When most people think of a community, they think of where students will be living. But what people do not realize is that it means so much more than that. Any freshman can just live in a residences hall, but to actually be a part of a Living Learning Program is a big deal. Not only do you get to meet your fellow neighbors, but you build a bond that is stronger than the normal residence halls. This is because the students learn and grow in common classes that teach a variety of skills. Skills that will help them in the future like team building, public speaking, and thinking outside the box. Students are normally asked to work in groups for long periods of time, and this helps to build relationships that are long-lasting and can last outside of their first year. Also, most of the Wired classes help students become familiar to Lexington due to minor projects that relate to the University and how we fit in Lexington. 

When I first began looking at the University of Kentucky, I just wanted to live in a nice dorm close to my classes. I was a shy girl that was content with working alone and having a small group of people that I interacted with. I can now say that the Wired Living Learning Program has changed me for the better. Working with people I did not know for projects helped me to expand my networking system. I branched out and got to know a lot of great people from all over the United States. When most students get to college, it is a strange place and most do not know who they are or where they fit in, your loved ones are not around and the familiarities of high school are nowhere to be found. So then homesickness or getting involved with the wrong crowd becomes a problem. I can truly say that the Wired Living Learning Program was my home away from home. I met one of my best friends in the Wired program and this year, we are roommates. So you never know who you will meet.

Another great thing about the Wired Living Learning Program, is that there are recreational things to get involved with. Everything is not about learning from a book, but also learning life lessons. My favorite Wired event that is hosted every year, is the Not In Our Halls event. This event is basically an anti-discrimination event. This event is used to say not only do we not want to discriminate based on ethnicity but with race, sexual orientation, and religion too. It is a symbolic thing when we join together at this event to all support each other, knowing that the color of our skin or the people we choose to love does not make us any better or worse than the next person.

So take a second look when figuring out what community you want to be a part of. Be a part of a community like Wired that is all about unity.

Sincerely,

Icyana Abner

Post by: Erin White

Like most college freshmen, when I first started UK, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to major in or what I wanted to do with my life, and I'm still not absolutely sure. There are so many options and choices for career paths, it becomes hard for college students to make a decision. There are so many majors to explore at UK, which is great because you could major in just about anything, but it's not so great for someone undecided like I was, because there are so many options you can’t decide which to choose or even how to make that decision. Luckily for me, I was able to take the A&S Wired Career Hope and Exploration class taught by Ms. Charlotte Anderson, which is intended to help undecided or unsure students like I was choose both a major and career path by helping them with their decision making skills.  Last year in the course, I examined my interests, personal values, and skills through various exercises, which has given me a clearer understanding of what I'm looking for in a career. I think the most important aspect of the class was how it has changed my process in decision making – not just for choosing a major or career – but learning how to make a good decision for all those important decisions in life. I would definitely recommend to this class to anyone who is struggling with choosing a major or career, or just wants to be become a better decision maker.  

Post by: Blake Goodman

My time in A&S Wired was one I will cherish forever. I enjoyed my time in the Wired program, not because of the free iPad. The friends that I made through the Wired program will be friends that I will have forever. Some of the guys I met will become best men at my wedding. I still see the majority of these friends everyday and some are in all of my classes. While some have moved off campus and into apartments, we still see each other every single day. The ones that have moved into an apartment this year still wish they could come back to the Wired program. Out of state, first generation, and even up and coming college students who live in the Lexington area should join Wired.

I myself am out of state and a first generation college student. I knew absolutely no one when I moved to campus and into the Wired program. That changed quickly with K week and the Wired program’s need to get people involved. When I say need it’s because the directors of Wired honestly want all students involved in Wired. I met so many new people. The Wired program was about half the size of my high school graduating class. The Wired program made me know almost everyone in the first few weeks. This was crazy considering that I had 12 years to learn my class.

The Wired program as a whole is the best thing I have done in college. I am in a fraternity, but if I would not have joined Wired I am not sure that I would have stayed at UK. The program made me feel at home and the resources available to me were tremendous. Everyone is helpful and never turns anyone away. The Wired Program is the best fit for any student no matter where or how they grew up. 

Post by: Tara Bray

As a high school student, the thought of college always seemed overwhelming. I was scared to leave my home, my friends, and everything that was familiar to me in my life. I didn’t know if I would make the transition to college smoothly, if I would succeed, or crash and burn. Little did I know at the time, by applying for the A&S Wired Residential community I was taking a step that would help me succeed during my first year at UK. Being in Wired provided me with the first step in making friends and creating a familiar environment, which are two crucial aspects in succeeding during your freshman year. Not only has Wired offered me opportunities for leadership development, such as becoming a peer mentor in the program, but it has also allowed me to form bonds with both faculty and my peers that might not have happened.

As a Wired student, you have the opportunity to take your writing class, which is a university requirement, in a section with other Wired students, which was one of my smallest courses. My writing professor was Dr. Beth Connors-Manke, who became a mentor to me and a person who I look up to, not only as an authority figure, but also as a friend. This class also led me to meet other Wired students who I still hang out with.

                Ultimately, the Wired community helped me feel like I belonged on UK’s campus, and gave me opportunities that have allowed me to gain leadership experience, helping to further confirm my intended career path in education. My experience in this program provided me with tools, like networking and leadership opportunities, that helped to make my first year a great one.