Being an Aviation Student and Living in the Residence Halls
Parents get the peace of mind knowing their students are living in a safe environment and making connections with other students who share similar interests. Students living in the residence halls generally have more of an inclination to do well in classes because they are motivated by living with their peers. Resources are readily available for both students and parents and the residence hall staff is more than happy to help find solutions to any challenges presented. Parents play a large role in supporting student success at the collegiate level; providing parents with resources designed to help and provide support to their students makes the transition easier. Parents should also know that financial aid can be applied to living in a residence hall rather than an off-campus apartment that needs to be paid for monthly. This also provides opportunity for ride-shares and shuttle service to and from Battle Creek. Many classes are also held on-campus and the aviation house is conveniently located in relation to academic buildings, cafeterias, library, the student center, and the student services building.
Should I live in the residence halls or rock out an off-campus apartment with my good friends from high school? Living in the residence halls provides a new and unique experience for undergraduate students, especially first year students.
Western Michigan University does a great job of creating positive learning environments in the residence halls. These environments begin with the students and hall staff (resident assistants) making connections and providing resources for students at all phases of their educational journey. For students, this means being part of a community of peers that provide academic and life support. Residence Life at WMU begins to build that community bond by providing specific living/learning communities.
The aviation living/learning community brings people from the three major disciplines (flight science, administration, and maintenance) together to create personal and professional bonds that will last throughout one’s career. Students not only sit in class together, but also live together. The close proximity can provide a lot of academic and social support. Upperclassmen living in the Aviation House can quickly turn into mentors for the underclassmen, providing assistance in areas such as academics support, flight planning, or learning to to navigate around the College of Aviation.
The Aviation House is staffed with one learning community assistant (LCA). The LCA is an aviation major providing support and programming opportunities specifically geared toward aviation majors. Residence Life staff know and understand the unique needs of aviation majors and are very supportive of the Aviation House. Programming opportunities with the hall staff include visits and discussions from professionals in the industry, visits to area airports, air traffic control centers, area aviation companies, and many more fun and educational opportunities.
Living on-campus gives students beneficial opportunities to apply to their collegiate and professional careers. Resources are readily available and University staff are more than willing to help find the necessary resources to help students become successful. Residence Life is committed to fostering student success and helps to establish a community of peers that share a common interest, making bonds and lifelong connections.