It’s a big change from high school, a student life coordinator says
The final weekend of summer is here, and students across Ontario will be returning to class next week.
That includes at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, where staff, faculty, and volunteers are preparing to welcome a new crop of first year students.
“There’s definitely a buzz around campus,” Stephanie Woodall, the student life coordinator at Ridgetown, told Farms.com. “It’s funny because at the end of each school year, we take a deep breath and say ‘okay, we’ve made it through another year,’ but throughout the summer the school gets very quiet, and you start to miss the students.”
Starting university after high school is a big change.
Especially for those students moving into residence.
“It’s a huge dose of independence and responsibility,” Woodall says. “Mom and dad aren’t around to tell you to get up and get ready for class. And you choose if you want to go to class. How a student’s time at university goes falls squarely on their shoulders.”
For those new students, the university has multiple events going on and resources available to help learners begin their university careers on the right foot.
Orientation week begins Aug. 30 with an evening kick off. The next day students can participate in student club socials and GryphFest.
Residence move in is on Sept. 1.
“Students would have received an email with the full orientation week schedule,” Woodall says. “We have things going on all over.”
Orientation week events are also on GryphLife.ca and the I Am A Gryphon mobile app.
For students living off-campus, the Off-Campus University Students group will be visible throughout orientation week to help foster connections and community building.
Part of having success at university is knowing where the classrooms are.
Woodall encourages new students to take advantage of tour opportunities during orientation week.
“We have second year students ready to help,” she said. “They’ll look at your timetable and walk you to each one of your classrooms. It’s such a big help during what can feel like a whirlwind of a week.”
Another way to have a positive university experience is to find likeminded people and join campus clubs.
The University of Guelph’s website indicates it has 361 clubs.
“There is something for everyone,” Woodall says. “There will be booths around campus about joining clubs. All you have to do is give your phone number, and you’ll get a group text along with others who indicated the same interest. Some clubs only have five people but that’s five people who became friends over something they enjoy.”
The first week of the first year of university can be hectic.
Woodall encourages new students to embrace a little bit of chaos.
“It can definitely feel overwhelming,” she said. “I hope our new students can take a second to take it all in and embrace the new experiences they’ll have over the next few years. University life can be so rewarding academically and also professionally if they dive in with both feet.”
Farms.com wants to know - when was your first year of university or college? What do you remember about it?