Freshman reorientation

For this semester’s registration period, University departments have been making an effort to alert students to new classes and opportunities through advising events and socials — a key way of fostering academic relations. During advising week, there was an even bigger push to include freshmen in an Orientation Encore event held on Nov. 5 and 6.
Often freshmen feel rushed into the mainstream registering process with upperclassmen. However, this two-day schedule filled with workshops and information sessions provided ample opportunity to assuage anxieties that freshmen may still have about the registering process or their academic futures.
Even upperclassmen have doubts about their majors, minors and clusters, and an event specifically geared toward freshmen places more focus on solving uncertainties early on. This way students can solve problems and ask questions during their freshman year, with the hope that later on they will spend less time worrying about choosing the right major or certain classes.
As a freshman, Orientation Week is an overwhelming experience as students are adapting to the new opportunities that college has to offer. Therefore, it is tough to take in all necessary information. Revisiting orientation allows students to hear information again that may have been glossed over at the beginning of the year.       And still replete with free give-aways and food, this event is another way to promote class bonding and let freshmen know they are not alone when it comes to being stressed over choosing the right classes.
While there are many events that help students through the stressful time that is registration period, the attention devoted solely to freshmen will address academic concerns before upperclassman status. By creating this event for freshmen that revisits orientation, UR shows its continued dedication to helping all students through their undergraduate years.