The College Bound Transition: Orientation Isn't Enough. Today's Pre-Orientation Programs Jumpstart Student Engagement

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As you read this end-of-summer column, it is more than likely that young adults have begun to show up on your campus to begin life as first-year college students. Does your institution have an orientation session for new freshmen and transfer entrants? Almost certainly it does. Students wander around all the new buildings, learn about diversity and course planning, take placement tests, find their dorm rooms, meet roommates, figure out meal plans, and, minus the beanies, probably seem as clueless as their counterparts from five decades before. These days, a campus orientation program has become an assumed part of the college matriculation process. The new trend is toward pre-orientation programs.

What is a pre-orientation program? The goal is to involve incoming students in experiences that help them connect to each other and to their new college. The activities run the gamut, from rock climbing to working in soup kitchens, orienteering to researching undersea vehicles. The traditional "freshman trip" usually involves students arriving on campus early, then heading out with backpacks and or canoes to brave the …