Think freshman orientation is a waste of time? No way!

Learn how to face your freshman fears here. Read how these students got a jump start on their college careers through an adventurous orientation program. Get a Jump! The Financial Aid Answer Book WIN IT! Tell us what you think!

Learning the Ropes + Making Friends = Orientation
By Lynda Kessler
Additional reporting by Robyn Tellefsen
July/August 2003

The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- New beginnings can be scary, especially when it comes to leaving your familiar high school community behind, and heading toward a new college "home" with complete strangers. Colleges and universities feel your pain, and are making the high school-to-college transition a lot smoother through cool freshman orientation programs.

For starters, Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY) offer the optional, not-for-credit course, "The First-Year Advantage." A faculty member and two upperclassmen teach this class, which meets 85 minutes a week for six weeks, to equip students with school success strategies. There's also a chance to have a "Sidekick," an upperclassman who acts as a mentor, as well as a "Phantom Friend," a sophomore or junior who leaves secret gifts and messages of encouragement.

Some schools, like DePauw University (Greencastle, IN), are taking the cyber-route to freshman success. DePauw has a Web site especially designed for the incoming class of 2007, allowing students to find out more about residence life, submit course requests, take placement tests, interact with other incoming students, and compete for prizes through trivia and photo contests.

The University of Dayton (Dayton, OH) also boasts a virtual orientation site where freshmen can e-mail each other, review student profiles, and create their own. They can even download university information, including Dayton's popular fight song.

Designed to promote self-confidence and a sense of belonging, the Learning Community at the Syracuse University School of Management (Syracuse, NY) places management majors in a supportive environment as they live on the same floors, share classes, and participate in academic and social activities together.

Finally, the First Year Program (FYP) at the University of the South (Sewanee, TN) eases students' transition to college by offering small, intellectually stimulating, unusual classes. The FYP integrates class work with out-of-class experience through interactive seminars like "The Science of Color," "Faith After the Holocaust?" and "Making War, Making Peace."

If you have the opportunity to attend your college's freshman orientation program and/or activities, take advantage! You can gain a lot of insight about the academic and social college experience, make friends before the school year begins, and connect with upperclassmen.