Freshman Orientation

In our previous post, we mentioned registering for freshman orientation is something college-bound seniors should do ASAP.  But what is freshman orientation?  What happens at freshman orientation?

Every school handles freshman orientation a bit differently.  It is incredibly important that you read through all of the paperwork your school gave you on orientation and what it entails.

Here is a glimpse of some tasks you may complete at freshman orientation this summer:

• Getting acquainted with your new campus.  Orientation is a great time to help new students familiarize themselves with the campus.  You can get an idea of where various important buildings are located such as your classrooms, dining hall, library, dorm, gym, etc.
• Create your schedule. You will often meet with an adviser during orientation to pick out the classes you want to take for your first semester.
• Pick your roommates.  If you are living on-campus, you may have to pick out your residence hall room and roommate.  Every school does this a bit differently.  Some schools may pick your roommate for you or match you up according to a survey.
• Obtain your student ID.  For many colleges, your student ID is your key to everything: getting into certain buildings, taking out library books, eating in the dining hall, and more.
• Learn about clubs and activities.  Get a sense of what types of extra-curricular activities are available on campus.  This could include clubs you can join or events happening on-campus.
• Getting to know other freshman students.  In addition to everything else, orientation is a great time to meet new friends.  You will most likely be placed into large groups with other students who will also be starting in the fall.