Fall orientation is looking different this time around as first-year students and organizers adapt to virtual-only programming. This year’s events, organized by the Student Experience Office (SEO) in partnership with other student groups, wrapped up on Sept. 11.
According to Matthew Wason, SEO activities and engagement co-ordinator, students have been grateful for the programming so far.
“After the spring and summer that we all have experienced, I think our first-year students are appreciative of the programs being offered which provide a small sense of normalcy,” Wason said in an email.
“It certainly isn’t what they would have envisioned back in 2019 when they started to apply to university, but the programs that they are able to participate in will still feel like a ‘Welcome to Carleton’ experience,” he added.
Jasmin King, a first-year Carleton psychology student, said online orientation events give introverted students the chance to take part in a way they usually wouldn’t have.
“I’m definitely not the kind of person to just go out and join in on conversations, but with everything being online I felt like I could just jump in and start talking to everyone and it definitely gave me a voice,” she said.
“With the orientation being online, it honestly felt like I was there in person.” — Jasmin King, first-year psychology student
Despite not having the opportunity to connect in person, Wason said having programming online also makes the events more accessible for students with different tastes.
“Fall orientation has always been an energetic and sometimes loud event, which some students really like,” he said, adding that these events aren’t for everyone.
“With programming now online, we can accommodate a wider range of preferences for engagement,” Wason said.
Jordan Lecompte, a first-year criminology student at Carleton, said that with the fall semester taking place entirely online, a virtual orientation gives first-year students the chance to connect and meet other students.
Lecompte said that while she originally signed up for the orientation to make friends and learn more about clubs, living in residence made meeting other students a lot easier than she expected.
“That’s one [of] the pros of living on residence. I feel it’s just easier to meet people in person than online,” she said, adding that this is something which could be difficult for students staying at home.
“I feel like it’s going to be harder for students who couldn’t come to residence, whether that was just for financial reasons or they didn’t get their visas in time to come to Canada.” — Jordan LeCompte, first-year criminology student
LeCompte said that it sucks everything is online because making new friends is particularly difficult in a virtual classroom.
“We’re supposed to do breakout rooms which will make it easier to have conversations with people, but with other classes, most of them are asynchronous so that will be harder,” she said.
Despite the friendships she’s been able to build so far throughout orientation, King said she still feels like she’s missing out on the university experience, especially as a student taking classes from home.
“In some aspects, I am missing out on those key moments that all freshmen look forward to going into university, like the whole move-in day or meeting everyone for the first time,” she said, adding that not being in residence was a key factor why she registered for orientation in the first place.
King said taking part in orientation got her excited for the school year, especially receiving her Ravens Starter Kit—a custom-designed orientation kit that included over $100 worth of merchandise.
“It gave me a sense that I started university, like that amazing feel,” she said. “I’m at Carleton, this is it, I made it.”
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
