Change is always exciting, especially on a college campus. In the fall of 2023, WTAMU implemented a new housing organization strategy intended to improve the dorm life experience for students. This strategy is referred to as Meta Major housing.

According to Residential Living’s Instagram page, Meta Majors are career-based clusters that are collections of academic programs that have related courses and career goals.

Residential Living wanted to make the sometimes difficult transition to college easier by surrounding students with peers who have common interests to foster connection.

The impact and changes to dorm life on campus have impacted the more than 2,000 students who call WT their home and campus.

Layla Olvera is a media communications student and a first-year CA in Cross Hall. The sections she oversees are predominantly engineering and nursing majors. Due to the difference in her major compared to those of her residents, as a CA, Layla thought the Meta Majors housing initiative has impacted her residents positively.

“I’ve noticed some of my residents have kind of opened up a lot more and are willing to join organizations on their own or just talk to the CA’s in general,” said Olvera.

With so much change to the dorm organization, many have wondered how students were reacting to being grouped with people they would see on a regular basis in and out of the classroom.

It is important to know how students who have experienced this housing arrangement firsthand have adjusted. Ryleigh Perryman is a freshman biology major with a pre-optometry specialization who has lived in the dorms for her first year of college. She has experienced many positive outcomes from this change. As an incoming freshman, it can be stressful to live in a new place with someone you may have never met before.

“I think Meta Majors have made it easier to find a group of friends, and while transitioning to college was still hard, it helped me find a sense of belonging,” said Perryman.

This transition has been a good way for students to share their interests with each other and grow closer through their academics. Students have also been able to learn more about their field of study through each other. Even though these students may have very similar majors, they all have different dreams.

”Ususally a lot of residents move out of their meta major section after a semester or two. It is like that with every building because sometimes people find their cliques outside of the dorms and in a different dorm, or we just have residents who decide that they want to live alone and get a private room if possible.”

Finally, there has been a lot of curiosity about WT keeping the Meta Majors housing initiative for years to come. Layla said a positive result of the Meta Majors housing for the residents she has noticed that students find it easier to connect with one another, because they share so many things in common, especially their classes and schedules. Not only did making connections with others become easier, but there was also the added academic benefit of being able to ask neighbors for help, and even form study groups.

“It’s a nice aspect and it is really cool to see how my residents kind of rely on each other and not just their roommate,” Olvera said.

I learned that there are more than just your specific general majors. I learned about specializations and minors,” said Perryman. “I learned that there is something for everyone.”

Overall, interviews have shown that this has been

a positive change for the campus, but we want to

hear from you. Let us know what you think about

the Meta Majors living arrangements!