Features
U of G Gets New Students Prepped for September
Centre for New Students offers range of programs to help ease transition from high school or another university to Guelph
BY TERESA PITMAN
When you’re a high school student waiting to hear if you’ve gotten into university, an acceptance letter is a moment of pure joy. Then the anxiety starts to set in, followed by a million questions: how hard will the classes be, what’s it really like to live on campus, will you make any friends, and how will you ever find your way around?
Parents of new students also have concerns and wonder how to help their child make this big life transition.
Here at U of G, the Centre for New Students (CNS) in Student Life is ready to help answer those questions with a lineup of summer programs that make it easy for new students and their families to get the information they need and to make connections.
Naeem Ordóñez, co-ordinator of new student advising and transition programs, says the summer offerings are designed to help both high school graduates taking their first plunge into university waters and transfer students who have experienced university life elsewhere but might need help making the transition to Guelph.
A mainstay of U of G’s orientation programs is START Online.
“Once a student is accepted, he or she can log on to the START website,” says Ordóñez. “It not only has helpful information but also gives students an opportunity to connect with other new students and with senior students.”
Visitors to the site can ask questions and have them answered by a team of 35 U of G student volunteers.
Last year, more than 1,900 new students used the website, with some logging on almost daily, says Ordóñez.
Another CNS program is “Off-Campus Connections,” which helps new students who will be living off campus find their place in the campus community. Last year, about 220 students signed up for this program.
There is also a specific website featuring a blog for parents and families.
“The blog is updated two or three times a week and keeps families informed about events on campus and important deadlines,” says Ordóñez. “Once the school year starts, we use the blog to help families know what students might be dealing with, such as the stress of mid-terms. The blog is also highly interactive because parents can respond to what’s written or ask questions.”
He encourages departments and units across campus to get in touch with him if they’re interested in contributing to the blog.
In August, U of G mails out the Handbook for Parents and Families to all new students and the Mathematics Post-Secondary Preparation Package to those who will be taking math.
Also in August, the CNS hosts two residential weekends. START for Commuters runs Aug. 7 to 9 and gives students planning to live off campus a taste of residence life. START for High School Student Leaders, designed for students who were heavily involved in extracurricular activities during high school, runs Aug. 21 to 23.
“All students are unique, and they bring a broad variety of experiences and challenges to university,” says Ordóñez. “The right tools and supports will make their transition a little easier and give them more opportunity to succeed.”