Today we feature Navya Kunigal, a rising sophomore Community Health major from Hillsborough, New Jersey (Somerset County). Here, Navya writes about her on-campus, first-year experience and gives future Profs her best Rowan tips.
As a freshman, I lived in Chestnut Hall, and I loved it! It is a wonderful dorm with so many wonderful people. I lived in a double by myself there.
Get involved. I am [involved] on Rowan’s campus in so many different ways. I’m a member of the National Wellness Institute (NWI) (Rowan Student Chapter) and the Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC).
I am also part of the Get Fit program that the Health and Exercise department manages. Get Fit is a program where we help people with intellectual and learning disabilities and work with them to benefit their health. It is such a rewarding experience. I look forward to this every day of the week.
I am usually quite occupied on campus. When you get involved in stuff, you will never be bored, every day will be a new adventure.
Where to go when you first arrive on campus. When I first came to Rowan, I had no friends. The Chamberlain Student Center is a great place to meet people. Try to have a friend in every class so you have an additional resource other than the professor.
Rowan After Hours (RAH) is how I made most of my friends. Rowan After Hours has night activities every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Activities include cooking, arts and crafts, dancing and a food bar. Sometimes we play video games too. It is really fun, and it is such an easy and cool way to meet new people. Definitely, go to RAH!!
Check out Rowan Boulevard! They have delicious restaurants and really cool places to visit. There are a lot of jobs on Rowan Boulevard as well. It is a really cool place to spend your time.
The Rec Center has something for everyone. Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, you name it! They got it! I go to yoga there once in a while, and they have so many different levels and types of yoga. I go to beginner yoga and it is so calming. It releases so much stress for me. Definitely go to the Rec Center when you have a chance!
Advice for choosing a major: It’s okay to be undecided (Exploratory Studies) when you go to college! Rowan gives you a chance to explore and find what you’re good at. Always consult with your advisor before choosing a major. They can help you narrow down your choices.
Moving in tips (do’s and don’ts): Moving into campus can be confusing, here is what to bring and what not to bring.
- Enough clothes.
- Hygiene products.
- Decorations to spruce up that room.
- Shoes, of course.
- And some coats, for the chilly days.
These five things are mandatory to bring on campus — most importantly, shower shoes!
What not to bring:
- Candles, because they can set off fire alarms.
- Not too many bags, they can cause clutter.
Five reasons why I love Rowan:
- The people
- The buildings
- Diversity
- Kindness
- Friends
I chose Rowan because not only was it a great fit for me, but it was a great experience being a freshman! I hope incoming freshmen have such a wonderful experience, too. Rowan had everything I was looking for and more. I cannot wait to go back and start a new chapter as a sophomore.
Enjoy campus as much as you can!
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Story and photos by:
Navya Kunigal, rising sophomore community health major
Organized by:
Rachel Rumsby, rising sophomore communication studies and public relations double major
Favorite Personal Memory: My favorite personal moments were the nights my roommates and I, from this past year, would hang out and just talk about random things, and have a blast doing it. We would talk about anything and everything and have the best conversations that we somehow never remembered the next day, but were amazing to be a part of when they happened. 
backgrounds can be for jobs, or even just or educational components. Whenever I would remind my professors of this other major I was pursuing, they would always include it as something to consider when making a plan. I learnt that we shouldn’t exclude ourselves from the most obvious answers or career paths but that we have to consider everything that can effect this one thing. 
What else caught your attention about Rowan? The school was pretty diverse. I’m from Africa and in Africa we always treat each other like family, and we are all about feeling welcomed. So, I wanted to be in a place where people were welcoming and where I wouldn’t feel left out.
don’t know anyone at the event you come back knowing about 10 people. There was one time I went to this event, I think the African Student Association hosted it, I didn’t know anyone — at the end of the day I knew like 10 different people. I didn’t feel like an international student anymore. Everyone is included here; all the opportunities are for everyone. 
By joining Rowan’s EMS team students join one of the nation’s top collegiate units — standing as the only collegiate unit in the nation awarded bronze, silver, and gold awards from NCEMSF (National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation) for the organization’s preparation and readiness. Volunteers stand among peers who are required to maintain GPA standards, but still managed to accumulate a collective total of 16,000 volunteer hours as a group for the year. This organization operates as a family — relying on one another, helping one another, and laughing with one another.
certification a member goes through a six to nine month training program held at the Gloucester County EMT Training Academy paid for by the organization. Chief Howery stated, “In addition to arranging the training at no cost, we have a continual no-cost-training program. So every month, Cooper Hospital, as part of the contract that we have with them, will come to Rowan and hold training classes in various topics we suggest or recommend.”
Typical scenarios volunteers might find themselves in include medical and injury responses, transport services for medical appointments and prescription drug pick-up, emergency medical transport, community engagement, mental health responses, training and awareness spreading of proper CPR techniques and AED usage, and the installation and maintenance of campus AEDs.