7 Tips That Must Be Covered in Your New Student Orientation
Here at Comevo, we are often asked what the most common subjects that successful clients address in their orientation programs are. Obviously, all schools and institutions are different, and must tailor their orientations accordingly. However, there are some tips that must be explained to new college students or else they will feel lost and behind. We’ve compiled a short list of tips that must be covered in your new student orientation—we hope these tips help you and your staff create the best possible environment for your incoming freshmen.
1. Time Management is Key
Balancing one’s time effectively is necessary to be successful in a college environment. Advise that students get a planner (paper or electronic) and organize their semester/quarter at the very beginning. Tell them to include all their major assignments and figure out how to distribute the workload each week. Be sure to have them account for other activities that will take up time, including work and extra-curricular activities. If done properly, this can help students prevent a frantic last-minute paper or all-night study session.
2. Get Ahead Early
Encourage students to focus on resisting the urge to slack off the first couple of weeks. If they fall behind now, it can be very difficult to catch up.
3. Show Up the First Day
Make sure students know that they must attend the first day of all of their classes. The first day is when their new professors explain expectations and provide the syllabus for the semester. Also, it is very important to understand which classes have attendance policies, not to mention the fact that many professors will drop a student from a class if they’re not there on the first day.
4. Know the Syllabus
Tell students to carefully read all class syllabi and know what is in them. The syllabus is an outline that explains how the class will be graded and what is expected of them, so it is important that they know and understand these expectations.
5. Be Prepared
Tell students to have everything they need for the semester/quarter: books, course packets, school supplies, etc. Also, remind students to print out any additional readings or material they are assigned well in advance to prevent forgetting or rushing an assignment.
6. Start the Readings Early
Getting off to a good start with the readings can make or break a grade. At the beginning of a semester/quarter, students probably are not too busy yet, so suggest they begin the readings early, otherwise, they will have to make them up later when the semester/quarter is busier.
7. Have Good Attendance
Stress that students start off the new semester/quarter with good attendance. The information provided at the beginning of the semester is often key to understanding later material, and professors often dislike when students regularly skip class.
Hope you enjoyed these tips; use them well!
