With its own distinct style and multitude of traditions, the Texas A&M campus can often take some getting used to.
While many students may have been exposed to the long-standing Aggie traditions in the past, some, like first generation Aggies, graduate and international students may at first feel shocked by such a large school’s dedication and attention to tradition.
Mechanical engineering freshman Faiz Olajide is one student that said he didn’t know about A&M’s enthusiasm for upholding traditions.
“My first few days on campus were really hard,” said Olajide. “There are a whole lot of traditions that I didn’t really know about and everyone takes them really seriously.”
Sociology freshman Jacqueline Guevara said she had similar sentiments but was also astounded by the size of the campus.
“I’m from LaGrange where the population is about 5,000 people,” Guevara said ”You knew everyone and their families and saw the same people every day. Since I’ve arrived at A&M, I’ve never seen the same people twice.”
According to an ‘Aggie Life’ study conducted by A&M, the total enrollment for Fall 2018 was 68,625 students. With such a large population, A&M has several university departments and many on-campus organizations dedicated to making the transition to college life smooth and ensuring that all students feel welcome.
Agricultural communications and journalism sophomore Elizabeth Olivarez is from College Station but still utilized the Academic Success Center her freshman year to help in the transition of becoming an Aggie. Now a student worker for the office, located in Rudder Tower, Olivarez said that the center is a great resource for new students.
“The Academic Success Center really helps you with a lot of things like time management, breaking down your schedule, figuring out how to study and finding the best times for you to study,” Olivarez said.
Olajide said he found the college transition student organization Excellence Uniting Culture, Education & Leadership (ExCEL), which helped him make Aggie traditions his own.
“I’m glad that I found ExCEL,” Olajide said. “They really made me feel welcome and like I had a community. Now my favorite tradition is the twelfth man towels in the student section at football games.”
Jacqueline Guevara said living on campus has helped her adjust to campus life and to meet new people.
“If I didn’t live on campus, I wouldn’t know where anything is or know as many people as I know now,” Guevara said.
Olivarez said she found her family and sense of community by joining one of St. Mary’s Catholic Center’s sororities and soon found her favorite tradition.
“Kappa Theta Beta really helped me get oriented to student life,”Olivarez said. “My favorite tradition is Silver Taps because you get to see the presence of the Aggie family.”
