Do you feel less than confident in the water? Want to improve your swimming skills? Campus Rec will be hosting a RAM Swim 101 class that teaches URI students how to swim. This pop-up will be held in the Tootel Aquatic Center, and holds the initiative to teach URI Students how to swim in a friendly and confidence-building environment. This session will take place at the pool in the Tootell Aquatic Center on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Campus Rec’s mission highlights being well, being active, and belonging. With many group exercise classes, fitness facilities, wellness centers, and events, Campus Rec curates various programs for the URI student body. Taught by URI swim instructors, this program is a safe environment for students to learn swim skills and build confidence in the pool. During this Pop-Up, the instructors will teach students floating and treading basics, breathing and timing techniques, survival swimming, and stroke mechanics. This is the perfect opportunity to get comfortable in the water in a low-stress environment. College is all about learning new things, both in and out of the classroom.
Swimming is an incredibly useful tool, especially here in the Ocean State. It is also an important tool to know how to keep yourself and others safe in the water. Learning to swim can prove to be a confidence booster. Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to take on a new activity or hobby! You never know, you might just love swimming and find yourself in the pool regularly. This is also a great opportunity to meet new people and explore facilities that may be new to you.
As a member of the Club Swim Team, swimming has proved to be much more than just a workout. The Club Swim Team has brought me many friendships, travel opportunities, and a sense of belonging on campus. This does not mean you have to go as far as joining a swim team, but you never know what opportunities swimming will open to you. Not only does swimming allow me to be competitive, but it has brought many positive experiences around lakes, ocean, and pools. I learned to swim in a lake and found it a little intimidating at first, but taking the time to learn to swim really paid off. Being introduced to swimming has empowered me to be confident around water, and has allowed me to unwind and reconnect with myself. Swimming unlocks so many paths, whether it is lap swimming, signing up for a water fitness class, or just feeling confident the next time you go to the beach. It is important to try new things and explore the free programs that Campus Rec provides.
Swimming is also a versatile skill to have, providing new fitness opportunities, recreational activities, and unique hobbies such as paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and whatever it may be. The URI Sailing Center is another one of our facilities and has kayaks, and paddleboards available to students. Once learning to swim, these can be new hobbies for you to explore.
The Tootell Aquatic Center is a Campus Recreation facility. With three pools, the aquatic center has open swim hours that are available to students. It is important to take advantage of all of the URI facilities. With this, Campus Rec strives to make all of our facilities accessible to all students. RAM Swim is the perfect opportunity to learn to swim and get acclimated to being in the water.
Registration opened yesterday, November 10th, and can be accessed through this link. It is free to all students, so be sure to sign up and bring a friend if you are more comfortable. Make sure to bring a towel, a valid URI student ID, and swimwear. Registration closes December 1st, so be sure to sign up soon!
By Erin Mullaney
Major: Political Science and Criminal Justice
Graduating May 2026