Choosing where to go to college comes with a lot of questions. What do you want to study? How far from home do you want to be? What can you afford? And, somewhere in between all of those practical questions, there is another one: Where can you actually see yourself?

For me, choosing the University of Wyoming meant choosing a place where I could grow in several directions at once. I wanted to work toward my degree, but I also wanted to meet people, get involved, and find opportunities that would help me figure out what came next. UW gave me a place to start building all of that.

Community colleges are a great option for many students, and everyone’s college path looks different. But if you are considering a bachelor’s degree and wondering whether to begin at UW, there are some real advantages to being here from the beginning. From exploring majors to finding your people, those first years can become a meaningful part of your college experience.

One of the biggest benefits of starting at UW is that you can begin working toward your bachelor’s degree at the university where you plan to finish. Your general education requirements, introductory courses, and academic planning can all fit into that larger goal from your first semester.

That doesn't mean you skip foundational classes or jump straight into every upper-level course. It means you can start understanding how those pieces connect early. You can meet with an advisor, learn about your program’s requirements, and make choices with your UW degree in mind.

If you stay at UW, you also avoid the separate process of transferring between institutions and having your credits evaluated for a new degree program. Transfer students successfully make that transition all the time, but starting here gives you continuity. You are already learning the systems, getting familiar with your college and building relationships you can carry into your later years.

There is something exciting about appreciating that the campus you are getting to know as a freshman could also be the place where you walk across the graduation stage. You have time to settle in, build confidence, and make it yours.

Of course, starting your bachelor’s degree does not mean you need to have your entire future planned out. Honestly, expecting yourself to know exactly what you want to do before you have even taken a college class puts a lot of pressure on you.

UW offers more than 80 undergraduate programs, giving students a wide range of academic directions to explore. That variety matters whether you arrive with a specific career in mind or are still sorting through a few different interests. You can discover subjects you had never considered and learn what studying them actually looks like.

Maybe you love the creative side of business but have never thought about marketing. Maybe a science course introduces you to a career you did not know existed. Sometimes it takes a class, a conversation, or a project for those puzzle pieces to fit into place.

UW’s Exploratory Studies program gives students a structured way to navigate that process through six broad academic tracks and support from an advisor. You can explore related subjects while learning more about possible majors and careers. You do not need every answer before you get here.

You can also change direction as your interests develop. Changing a major can affect your course plan and graduation timeline, so those conversations with an advisor matter. Still, having different programs within the same university gives you options as you figure out what fits.

And then there is everything that happens once you close your laptop and leave class.

College is a big academic commitment, but your experience also includes the people you meet along with the memories you make along the way. At UW, being on campus puts you close to the events and traditions that make being a Cowboy feel real.

Picture a football game at War Memorial Stadium: brown and gold everywhere, the band playing, and a student section full of people cheering for the same team. Even if you do not understand every call on the field, you can still enjoy being part of the energy. There is something fun about having a reason to get together, show up, and be loud.

Football is one part of that experience. UW also brings concerts and performances to campus, including events like the Cowboy Kickoff Concert and programming through the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. Depending on what you enjoy, you could go to live music, a stage performance, or another campus event with friends.

Starting here gives you more time to discover those experiences and make them part of your routine. You can find the events you look forward to every year, meet people who share your interests, and eventually help create opportunities for other students.

For me, getting involved through Sigma Chi, campus leadership, and my work at UW has been a huge part of making Laramie feel like home. Those experiences have given me people to count on and reasons to keep putting myself out there. Taking the time to build those connections has mattered just as much as I expected.

Being a UW student can also take you much farther than Laramie.

Study abroad is one of those opportunities that can sound exciting and a little intimidating at the same time. Living and learning somewhere unfamiliar is a big step. But it can also show you how other people live, approach your studies from a different perspective, and become more comfortable figuring things out on your own.

UW’s Education Abroad options include exchanges, direct-enroll programs, and faculty-led experiences. That gives students different ways to explore international learning, whether they want to spend a semester at a partner university or join UW faculty and other students.

Starting at UW gives you time to ask questions and plan early. You can talk with your academic advisor about how courses abroad would fit into your degree, explore costs and scholarships, and consider which experience matches your goals. With proper planning, studying abroad can fit into your academic progress without delaying graduation and allow you to travel the world.

I think that is an exciting part of choosing a university: you can build a home base while still opening yourself up to somewhere completely new. Coming to Wyoming does not mean your education has to stay within Wyoming.

Another advantage of UW is the opportunity to connect what you learn in class with work happening beyond it.

There is a different kind of understanding that comes from actually doing something. You can study a concept, memorize the vocabulary, and pass the exam, but applying it asks you to think differently. You have to make decisions, ask questions, and sometimes try again when your first idea does not work.

UW offers undergraduate research opportunities where students can work alongside expert faculty on real-world problems. In entrepreneurship, students can work with companies, participate in business plan competitions, and connect with entrepreneurial faculty and business owners. These opportunities let students explore a field while building experience.

As a business management and entrepreneurship student, I appreciate connecting my education with my work in Institutional Marketing and the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership. Creating content, communicating with different audiences, and working with a team give me opportunities to use what I am learning and keep developing my skills.

Those experiences also help you learn about yourself. You might discover that you enjoy presenting ideas, solving a problem behind the scenes, or bringing people together. Finding that out while you are still in college gives you something useful to build on.

Ultimately, choosing where to start college is personal. Cost, location, support, and your goals all deserve a place in that decision. For students who want to begin their bachelor’s journey while exploring everything a university can offer, UW has a lot to be excited about.

You have time to find your academic direction, build relationships, explore the world, and gain experience that helps you imagine your future more clearly. You also have time for the everyday moments that make the experience yours.

For me, that is the value of starting at UW: being here to discover what is possible, then giving myself the chance to go after it.