Making the Most of Orientation

Freshman orientations take many different forms. Some colleges have in-person orientation / registration sessions in the summer, some have in-person orientation the week before school starts, and some offer portions of orientation virtually. It all depends on the school. However it looks at your student’s school, the best advice to incoming freshmen (or incoming transfer students) is to take full advantage of the programming. It can be exhausting, but the opportunity to get familiar with campus and campus services and meet people at the same time is a one time thing and is worth its proverbial weight in gold. Some examples of activities to take advantage of follow:

Academic Advisor Meeting / Registration

As with all things orientation-related, advising and registration will look different everywhere. No matter what the form of this is at your student’s college, a one-on-one meeting with an advisor before registration is so important and will help set your student on the right path as their first semester starts. Whether in person or via Zoom, suggest that your student get familiar with basic requirements and write down some questions prior to the meeting. Most likely your student will meet with an advisor that is connected with their declared major, but schools are well-equipped to advise students who have not yet declared a major and help set them up for success as they explore majors and keep their options open.  Pro Tip: Sometimes freshman parents are tempted to sit on an academic advising meeting, especially if it is a Zoom meeting. Unless there are truly extenuating circumstances, colleges will actively discourage this and it is generally just not a good idea nor the norm.

Campus Tours

Attending campus tours during orientation can help students feel comfortable and familiar with their new campus. They will also hear about campus resources and services (such as writing centers, tutoring centers, student recreational spaces, etc.) that might take a while to hear about without a tour. The big bonus of these tours is that they will meet people and make new friends.

Some campus facilities will have specific tours, such as the library and the student recreational center. Encourage your students to take advantage of these tours as well. Campus recreational centers have a wide array of services, including equipment rental (sometimes free) and niche classes. Libraries are also a valuable resource, and students can learn about resources (such as free online access to many newspapers, journals and magazines while a student) and find great study spaces.

Social Events

The orientation activities can feel exhausting, but these are the best way to meet “first friends.” Even if the event is not a highlight, the connections made there might lead to lasting friendships. Encourage your student to go to as many planned events during orientation as they can.

Club Fairs

These go by different names at different schools, but most schools have events where all the school-sponsored clubs and groups have informational tables and activities for new and returning students to explore. Encourage your student to sign up for a club or two!

Resource Fairs

Schools also provide information about the services they offer during orientation, such as the career office, health services, counseling services, and tutoring centers. Sometimes new students feel overwhelmed by these, but a good trick is to stop by the information table, say hello, and add the service to their instagram feed. So even if a student feels like career services is not high on their priority list at this point, they can start following along to get familiar with the services offered.  

Parent Events and Good-Byes

Some schools offer informational events for parents during orientation / move-in days. This is a great opportunity to hear from faculty members and administrators and get a better sense of the resources and services that will be available to your student. Some schools also plan an event that serves as a send-off, where parents and students celebrate the start of this new chapter and then parents leave. This can be heartbreaking for parents, but schools design these to provide an opportunity for a positive, healthy “see you soon” moment. We suggest going with the flow on this, and not trying to outsmart the system. The good-bye is hard, and there is no way around that. One piece of advice that tends to resurface a lot this time of year is to say good-bye when your student is on their way to something - pizza with friends or a residence hall meeting or a social event. It’s easier for them if their parents aren’t the ones leaving, but rather they are. Good luck!