10 Things Every Student At University Of Wisconsin-Parkside Knows Or Should Know
Whether you’re new to the University of Wisconsin Parkside or a returning student, there are some things you should know while on campus. These ten things are points that every student at this school finds out eventually.
1. The Geese
Geese are one of the main obstacles you will find at the University of Wisconsin Parkside. They are there as soon as the snow begins to melt and only leave once the snow settles in again. They are just as bad as geese anywhere else.
If you see geese during orientation, you might get told by your tour guide that it doesn’t matter if you’re in their space or they’re in yours. They will honk and they will hiss. If you get too close, then they will show you their teeth and begin to waddle menacingly at you.
Many times I have changed my path completely just to avoid the geese entirely. And if you have food? You might just want to walk inside to be safe. They may or may not care if you have food, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
The geese will walk anywhere on campus and are sometimes seen “patrolling the area” from up on the rooftops. However, they never go into the parking lots so you are safe once you get there.
2. When to go to Brickstone
The University of Wisconsin Parkside has it’s own cafeteria located in the student center building. It has a few different venus inside the cafeteria itself, but people rarely refer to the individual spots. They also rarely refer to the cafeteria as a cafeteria. If you want to ask a student there how to get to it, you’d have to ask them how to get to the Brickstone.
The key to the Brickstone is when to go. Normally there’s a lot of traffic between noon and 1 and 5 and 6. So if you want to avoid the lines, try to get there before the morning classes end or wait until after the rush is done.
If you want the good stuff, though, you will want to head there before the big crowd gets there. Many students feel like they have no choice but to get it during the big rush time. However, there is an option to take anything from the Brickstone to-go.
In recent years they have been investing more and more in the possibility of giving students the ability to take food back to their dorms or to their classes. By taking their food to-go, students don’t have to worry about bringing back plates and utensils. Even the soup and salad can be taken to-go.
3. The alternative paths
The University of Wisconsin Parkside has many different paths to every spot you could need to go. However many new students may not know these paths. They can come in handy when you want to avoid the geese or want to avoid the heavy traffic in the main hallways.
Some paths are alternate hallways that lead outside, others are stairways that can also lead outside or down or up to different hallways. When you have downtime, feel free to explore and roam the halls.
If you get lost, or someone asks if you are looking for a specific room, you can just explain that you are exploring and trying to find alternative routes for the future. They might even give you alternate paths they themselves have found in the past.
4. When to avoid the skywalk
The University of Wisconsin Parkside has two skywalks that connect the buildings. One between the Student Center and Molinaro, and a longer one that connects Wyllie and Greenquist. Only one of them gets used for anything other than just traffic.
The one that you might want to avoid from time to time is the one that connects the Student Center and Molinaro. This one is used by clubs to promote more people joining them or to promote different causes.
If you are interested in joining clubs, then you might actually want to go onto this skywalk from time to time to see what is happening. However, if you don’t want to be talked to, then you will want to go onto the B1 floor of either building and travel outside for a minute.
The high traffic times on this skywalk is between classes and during meal time since a lot of people use it to avoid the geese outside or to avoid the high winds that are popular in Kenosha.
5. The best spots in the library
The University of Wisconsin Parkside has a good-sized library that has three different levels for studying and two below the first floor for the archives and printing services for clubs.
The first floor of the library is mainly for school-provided desktop computers and group projects. This level you don’t have to worry very much about the noise level you make since group projects and discussions are abundant.
The second floor is where you will find more independent studying along with some group projects. But the discussions on this floor are asked to be kept to a minimum amount and level so that people can study efficiently. The temperature is at it’s best on this floor as well since it’s not too hot like the third floor and not colder like the first floor.
The third floor is best for optimal quiet and studying if you can handle the heat it brings. The best spots on this floor are in the little nooks provided by the school. They are either full rooms that you can shut the door on or actual little nooks in the middle of the floor between tables set up for privacy.
6. The gym in the SAC
Unless you have classes in the SAC at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, you might never realize that the school has a gym that’s open to all students. All you need is your student id card to use as collateral while you are there.
They only want the collateral to make sure that you wipe down your station and return anything you may borrow. It’s also used as a tracking system to make sure that you are where you say you were in case of emergencies.
The gym has a good amount of treadmills, cycle machines, and other cardio machines that you may need to use. The best part is that this is free for all students to use while the building is open. The downside is that there aren’t any lockers for you to store your stuff in. So if you don’t live on campus, you might want to store any unnecessary things in your car in a spot where no one can see them.
7. The pool
The pool is another amenity that is free for all students to use at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, but not many know about. You do have to bring your own swimsuit, shampoo, and towel though.
Before going into the pool, it is advised and requested that you take at least a little shower before going in. For your benefit and the benefit of others.
The pool is a typical length long and frequently has lanes floating on top for the swim team to practice with frequently. The hours for free swimming can vary from day to day depending on what is going on and there is no lifeguard on duty most of the time. So if you can’t swim very well, either make sure you stay in the shallow area or make sure you go when there is a lifeguard on duty.
8. Services at the Student Center
In addition to the Brickstone, the Student Center building also has a kiosk on the main floor you enter in. This kiosk gives you a few different services that some students might not realize until they find themselves needing to use it.
One of the things the people at this kiosk can do is replace your lost student ID. Your student ID is important for almost everything you will need to do for your entire time you are at the University of Wisconson Parkside. It costs about $10 to replace it. If you didn’t lose it but you need a replacement, then you can bring in your faulty one and a new one for cheaper or free.
The kiosk can also give you information about events and such that happen on the campus all year round as long as there are people at the desk. They are very friendly people so never be afraid to go up and ask them questions.
9. B2 floor
This floor is something almost none of the students know about since it’s below any floor they will have to go on a normal basis. Students technically are allowed on this floor, but it is mostly used for storage, transferring big objects, or the mailroom in previous years.
During Halloween time, it is used for haunted hallways because it is creepy down there. There is one part in the hallway, closer to the elevator, where there is a half-wall and it extends deep into the wall. This is where many pipes go into. You normally can’t see the end of the divet so it gives a very creepy vibe.
10. Free movies
One of the great things about the University of Wisconsin Parkside is that they frequently offer free movies to students. They aren’t older movies either. Many times they are movies that just came out in theaters for the students who can’t afford the high prices at the normal movie theaters.
They also offer free popcorn and you can buy candy where you get the popcorn. The seating in the theater is pretty nice as well. This theater is the same one that many students have to sit in when they go through orientation, so it might not look familiar on the outside but it will once you go in.
This theater also has hypnotists come in once or twice a year and they are always a hit.
