Summertime means orientation-time; and for freshmen and transfer students it means they're one more step closer to a bachelor degree. What is orientation and why should you go?
Orientation typically consists of a huge gathering of freshmen and incoming transfer students on a college or university campus. Generally, there's food, fun, and a little madness involved. But it serves a pupose--it is the typical way a college or university's goes about introducing new students to their campus, orienting them to the resources and services available, and herding students through the advising, testing and registration process.
Colleges and universities usually schedule orientations during the summer as there's a lot of planning and prep work involved in the process of setting up for these events; and staff/faculty usually have smaller workloads during the summer. Summer is also the time when most students aren't as involved in educational activities and have a bit more free time to dedicate to the orientation process.
Why should you go? Generally, if a college or university offers an orientation, its a mandatory meeting of bodies. In other words, you go because you don't have an option. Students who don't attend may not be able to register or may have to register very, very late because they have unmet requirements to complete.
Is it worth the time and effort to attend? It can be. At orientation, you get a chance to schmooze with faculty and administrators on campus, essential steps towards establishing professional relationships which may lead to recommendations, job leads, or scholarship/fellowship leads in the future. You also get all of the red-tape and paperwork out of the way, which means you can sort of slide into your first week on campus without a hefty weight of duty and responsibility sitting on your shoulders.
What if you can't attend? If you're working or have family/other responsibilities that prevent you from attending your college/university orientation, its time to contact admissions. Find out what your options are. It may be that you simply have to bring your family along with you to orientation in order to fulfill this requirement. If orientation is mandatory, however, you'll need to do the best you can to make it possible to attend.
Until next time!
Lynn Byrne
Preparing for college admissions? Trying to find direction? Need a little help with the planning? Check out my college planning series:
- College Planning Made Easy--the planning and preparation workbook for the take charge, college-bound student,
- Paying for College Made Easy--a college financing guide designed to assist students and families in preparing and planning for higher education expenses; and
- The Great Scholarship Search--my guide for students and parents researching and applying for scholarship funding.
