For $125 at Carleton, first-year students can be part of the Fall Orientation Week experience. The Charlatan’s Gerrit De Vynck looked into several well-known university orientation weeks.
Acadia University
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
The Acadia Student Union (ASU) and the school’s administration split up orientation week between themselves, says ASU vice president communications Grant Oyston.
The admininstration runs day events, like academic orientation, a massive photo shoot, mock Olympics, and even martial arts classes.
The ASU takes care of the night. Their suite of evening events includes a toga party, frosh formal and final concert.
Alcohol has been banned in residence for the extent of the orientation week in an effort to curb binge drinking, according to a August 28 report from the CBC.
Highlight?
Besides the concert, the massive 24-foot movie screen for one last summer flick.
What’s it cost?
$99 gets you into all the ASU events, or you can pay separately at the door. Day events are all free.
What makes it special?
Alternative events for every evening, including glow-in-the-dark frisbee and an ice cream social.
Western University
London, Ontario
A diverse coalition of administration, student unions, faculty reps and residence leaders come together to put on Western’s orientation week. “O-week” began back in the day when first-years had to come to university a week in advance so they could register for class in person and on paper, according to Western’s website.
Older students began the events and parties to ease the lameness of standing in line all day.
Now students register online, but still come a week early for what the university calls “the best orientation week in Canada.”
The program features 900 “sophs,” upper-year students who volunteer to show students the way. Residence sophs continue to live on the same floor as students for the continuation of the school year.
Highlight?
A late-night acoustic music bonfire halfway through the week lowers the noise and ups the intimacy compared to the non-stop action typical of orientation weeks.
What’s it cost?
$81 for the week.
What makes it special?
Western’s orientation week brings together the school’s faculties, residences and three affiliated colleges together for one, huge, unified party.
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec
New students at McGill can tailor their orientation week to suit their personalities, area of study and even religion.
Although the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the school’s administration host events for everyone, there are eight different faculty froshes, including “The Frosh Prince of Bel-Arts” for Arts students, “RodeO-Week” for engineers, and “Froshopoly” for management students. On top of all that, there are a bunch of non-faculty-specific froshes hosted by groups such as the Outdoor Club and the Muslim Students’ Association.
Highlight?
This year McGill students came together to set a Guiness World Record by eating more than 7,000 lbs. of fruit salad.
What’s it cost?
It all depends on which frosh you sign up for, but most of it is free.
What makes it special?
More than a dozen different froshes focusing on the communities and academic faculties that make up McGill.
Ryerson University
Toronto, Ontario
Ryerson’s orientation lasts a little longer than most. Administration runs an academic and non-academic orientation during the last week of August, dotted with events run by the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) like a Karaoke Night and Black Light Party.
The admin’s orientation isn’t lame either; it includes a photo scavenger hunt and a flash mob.
After all that, the RSU throws a series of street festivals, pub nights and performances over the first week of September.
Highlight?
disOrientation – a social justice-themed street festival bringing together Ryerson’s sustainability, GLBTQ, accessibility and activist communities.
What’s it cost?
Almost everything is free, except for meals here and there.
What makes it special?
Nearly two full weeks of events gives students plenty of time to find their place in the Ryerson community before classes start.
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC
UBC’s student union, the Alma Mater Society (AMS), puts on the west coast university’s orientation week.
First Week, as it’s called, runs for 10 days and features improv comedy shows, early morning yoga, and a basement rock show featuring the Arkells and Yukon Blonde. Oh, and there’s a gigantic nighttime pool party.
Highlight?
“The Legendary Indoor Outdoor Pool Party” is exactly what is sounds like: two pools, one inside, one out. Giant inflatables. Music. The night sky. Not bad.
What’s it cost?
$75 for an all-access pass to all orientation week events, or $83 if you include a pass to all UBC home sports games.
What makes it special?
First Week is also a crash course in Vancouver culture. There’s a focus on sustainability, local yoga clubs teach first-years the downward dog, and there are workshops on how to fix your own bike.
