I've been asked by some administrators that construct the freshman orientation to provide some suggestions/activities to improve our orientation. In the past students have been divided into groups with peer mentors who assist them with settling in during the first few days, they participate in some orientation for campus services, and there is usually some type of motivational speaker (last year it was a former "Survivor" contestant) as well as a speaker to talk about safe sex on campus. There is a general consensus that we are offering a "generic college orientation" to our incoming students, but a desire to create an experience that will help students to more quickly understand this particular campus culture and separate myths from truth. In particular, first year students seem to think that a lot of drinking takes place on campus (partially influenced by the fact that student athletes are the first students back to campus after first year students), when in fact there is actually less drinking than perceived. We are a small, liberal arts campus in a rural area with an incoming freshman class of about 300 each year. Does anyone have suggestions or examples from their own institutions or classes of activities, talks, or panels to help explain the idea of a "campus culture" and the culture of our school in particular in order to help students start off with realistic expectations of what academic and social life is like? Thanks, Erin Anderson Washington College
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