At Tulane University, October is a busy month for students, faculty, parents and alumni. In the first week of October, students eagerly welcomed fall break to enjoy time off from school. At the end of the month, the New Orleans community will celebrate Halloween festivities. In the meantime, however, there is no shortage of activities. 

On the weekend of Oct. 21-23, Tulane will celebrate its annual Wave Weekend — a mashup of Homecoming, Alumni Reunions and Family Weekend. In the spirit of togetherness, the Tulane community will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of university-hosted events together.

For many undergraduate students, Oct. 21-23 may be significant primarily because of Family Weekend. Understandably, students are eager to see their relatives, but this jam-packed weekend offers numerous benefits beyond a visit from loved ones.

For instance, Wave Weekend hosts reunions for undergraduate, law and graduate business alumni. Current students interested in pursuing a graduate degree may have the opportunity to connect with and learn from Tulane’s network of alumni. 

Wave Weekend attendees should look over the schedule of events in advance to create a game plan for their weekend. Although the many visitors and events fill the campus with energy, it can also feel hectic and overwhelming. Visitors can create loose schedules for their weekends allowing for last-minute changes since the individual events do not require tickets — just an all-inclusive registration. 

The upcoming weekend is not only a time to reunite with family, friends, and peers, but it is also an opportunity to meet people beyond your circle for a variety of reasons. Attending more curated events such as the Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane Open House or the Freeman School of Business Study Abroad and Exchange Programs gives students a chance to meet people who may share their academic interests in different subjects and programs. 

Not only can the weekend be a time to foster relationships with like-minded students, but it is also an opportunity to network. With 75 alumni networks around the world and frequent events with high participation, this opportunity to connect with the Tulane community is certainly one to take advantage of. Even if you do not strike up a conversation with an alum, chatting with the parents of peers is also a great way to learn more about different careers and experiences.

Wave Weekend also provides a great opportunity for undergraduate students to learn about some of the aspects of Tulane’s community that they may not be familiar with. 

Members of the Tulane community will also be able to give back to the community while enjoying the weekend celebrations. The Tipping Point is a rock concert hosted during Wave Weekend that benefits student scholarships. Students, families and alumni can rock out to a band and rest assured that they are paying forward their gratitude for such an excellent education.

On the weekend of Oct. 21-23, New Orleans will fill with proud Tulanians and supportive community members. No matter how you plan to take advantage of the big weekend, the school pride is sure to be felt!