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What is College Orientation?
By
Cece Gilmore
Cece Gilmore is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cece earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University. While at ASU, she was the education editor as well as a published staff reporter at Downtown Devil. Cece was also the co-host of her own radio show on Blaze Radio ASU.
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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Are you ready to embark on your new adventure at college? College orientation is the first step to a new chapter in your life! This article focuses on orientation for first-year incoming college students, but keep in mind that there are orientation sessions for transfer and international students as well. Keep reading to learn what college orientation is and what to expect when you attend!
What is college orientation?
College orientation is an opportunity for incoming students to explore the campus and meet faculty and other students before the start of school. Essentially, college orientation is an introduction to college life. College orientation typically takes place the summer before the fall semester.
What are the main goals of college orientation?
While the main goal of college orientation is to familiarize students with the campus and school, there are other perks. College orientation allows students to get to know one another and connect with new people before the start of their first semester of college. When students step foot on campus, they might see a familiar face (of a person they connected with during orientation) making for a smoother transition to campus.
Also see: How to deal with homesickness at college
What happens during college orientation?
Every campus has a unique college orientation, and therefore, a unique itinerary of what students will be doing during orientation. Some colleges break students into random groups, group them by major, or just talk to the entire incoming class. Therefore, before you attend your college orientation, you should read up on any information that has been sent to you. This will include a detailed description of the events that your school has planned for you and for how long.
How long is college orientation?
Depending on your school, college orientation could last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The duration of an orientation depends on the school itself. Some colleges offer a whole day filled with activities, while others plan a short afternoon session. Some may even organize overnight activities in order to allow students to experience what dorm life is like.
What is covered at orientation?
Most college orientations include a tour of the campus and a presentation of some kind. A tour of the campus allows you to get a good idea of where all the buildings and unique facilities are located. This could include buildings such as classrooms, the library, gym, and the dining halls.
A presentation is also a very typical event at college orientation. Presentations could cover a wide array of topics from major specific information, to campus safety protocols, to listening to experts on campus speak about their resources. Ultimately, these presentations will present you with a lot of valuable information and even give you the opportunity to evaluate if your school’s values align with yours.
Don’t miss: All about Greek Life
Is college orientation mandatory?
College orientation looks different for every college. So, some schools make attendance optional while others are strict about making orientation mandatory. Therefore, it is important to review your schools requirements regarding college orientation and to reach out to your school if you cannot attend college orientation.
How do I prepare for college orientation?
What to wear
College orientation typically occurs during the summer and requires a lot of walking around and touring the campus. Therefore, it is a good idea to wear comfortable shoes and weather appropriate clothes. It is important to review any information your school may have sent about college orientation because they may have specific information about attire you should wear. In addition, some college orientations even give students free swag such as a shirt to wear!
What to bring
Once again, be sure to review any information that was sent to you regarding your school’s specific college orientation. They may tell you exactly what to bring! For a typical half day orientation session, you should bring a water bottle, notebook and pen in order to jot down any important information you are told. For an overnight orientation, the packing will be the same as for any trip where you will need essentials.
Related: Is work study worth it?
Tips for attending college orientation
Get at least one fellow student’s contact information
This tip is helpful for getting you out of your comfort zone in order to talk to other incoming students. Remember, nearly all the students attending college orientation have never been to a college orientation before! Therefore, everyone is in the same boat and is feeling the same way you do, so get out there and talk to people!
In addition, getting to know your fellow classmates will make your transition to college life easier as you will have familiar faces on campus to turn to. In addition, having someone’s contact information can allow you to ask them any questions you may have!
Ask questions!
Orientation is your opportunity to ask important questions if you have them. College orientation is all about answering incoming student questions and making the unknowns about college known! Therefore, if there are any opportunities to ask questions, you should!
Also see: How to get involved on campus
Take notes
Chances are, you will be given a lot of information during college orientation. Therefore, it is critical to take notes throughout the day in order to remember important information. Another reminder to bring a notebook and a pen, or you can even jot down notes in your phone.
Carrie Gilmore | Freshman student, Manhattan College
Tips from a recent college orientation attendee
Final thoughts
College orientation is a fun time to get to know your new home and future friends. It is a vital stepping stone to help provide you with the knowledge, support, and social network you need to navigate your exciting college journey. Good luck with your college journey, and remember that Scholarships360 is here to help you along the way!