New-to-campus students may find their first days a little challenging, but programs are in place to help them find their way around and feel more at home, such as the Create event on Tuesday Sept. 6.
Annual event eases adjustment to life on campus
It can be daunting to walk on to campus for the first time – new faces, new responsibilities, new everything.
But programs are in place that will help new students feel more relaxed in their surroundings at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus.
Create is the new-to-campus orientation program for students. It's a day-long series of events designed for the newest members of UBC’s community. During Create, students will learn about the people, places, activities, and resources available on campus.
Spencer Hunt, student orientation coordinator, says the Tuesday, Sept. 6 event provides students an occasion to learn about the campus and the services available to them.
“It’s an opportunity to get their feet wet before jumping right in,” he says. “We try to make them as comfortable as possible.”
Hunt can attest to how helpful the event is to new students, having gone through Create himself. When he first arrived on campus, Hunt was nervous and even a little afraid, but by the end of the day he was relaxed and had a new-found confidence he could make it at UBC.
“I felt if they (senior students) could do it, I could do it,” he says. “It helped make campus feel more friendly. It’s a great way to get a feel for what university life is like.”
The students will have a guided tour of the campus by returning students where they will be introduced to the deans of their departments, their professors and other students.
Showcase, a vendor market to showcase local goods and services, happens the same day as Create, and it gives students an introduction to what services are available to them off campus as well.
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