Pre-orientation jump-starts new students

BY JANET GIBSON

First year students who will attend Cambrian College in the fall got a chance to blow away the jitters at a day-long event on July 18. The optional event, which cost $55 for a student and two guests, introduced students to the college, residence, their professors and fellow students. A free, mandatory orientation follows on Aug. 28.

The day also featured workshops for students on the web portal Student 411, getting top marks and a day in the life of a student, and for parents and friends on helping their child/friend succeed.

“The first day of school is going to be a lot easier now,” said Christopher Cowan, 17, a graduate of Confederation Secondary School who will take the two-semester program, electrical techniques-industrial.

Student administrative council president Jennifer Howarth said the first week of school can be very overwhelming for first-year students. The event gave them a chance to buy their ID card and books and get their frosh kits.

Melissa Speirs and Tanya Santos, vice-president and treasurer respectively of the Mature Students Association, said they were eager to tell mature students – those 24 or older – about special activities they can enjoy.

Brian Soucie, development manager with the Cambrian Foundation, said students asked him what scholarships and bursaries they could apply for and how they could apply. The college, he said, has about 450 awards to give out worth $400,000.

For parents, said Cambrian vice-president of student services Betty Freelandt, the session on how to help your child succeed was an eye opener. About three-quarters of those attending were parents of students who are the first in their families to attend college. The session addressed helping students budget over two semesters, freedom of information laws that prevent the college from releasing grades to parents and appropriate behaviour on campus.

Scenes from the movie Animal House are not the norm, Freelandt said, noting residences are alcohol-free for the first three weeks. Parents also learned their children will have one to two hours of work to do outside the classroom for every hour inside. And their children are going to change, parents found out.

Freelandt said the college has gotten good feedback about how the day has helped students. “It eased the fear of transitioning from their community or secondary school,” she said.

But some participants were taken aback by the admission fee, which covered the information sessions, a continental breakfast, coffee break, lunch, snack and giveaways.

“That sucked,” one woman said. “When my son attended Western, there was no fee for orientation.”

One man was philosophical about it. “Nothing’s free, is it?”

To learn more, visit Cambrian College online at cambriancollege.ca.