Students share orientation memories

At New Student Orientation, inco ming students get a taste of all things UNC from residence hall-living to academic advising to the Honor Code to the cookies at Lenoir Hall.

Every summer, the Office of New Students & Carolina Parent Programs hosts New Student Orientation, a series of two-day programs aimed at facilitating a smooth transition into UNC.

“Orientation is intended to be an introduction to the UNC experience both in and outside of the classroom,” said April Mann, director of New Students and Carolina Parent Programs

During orientation, students meet with their academic adviser, participate in a service project through Stop Hunger Now -- which was added to the orientation schedule in 2012 -- and hear from various departments on campus about the different academic paths available to students.

“We’re trying to give incoming students the information they need to be successful,” Mann said.

Sophomore Meagan Barger said she enjoyed staying on campus and meeting peers, but found some information sessions less helpful

“There was a section on how to interact with other people. It was the most bizarre thing ever,” said Barger. “This is kind of terrifying. I thought I knew these things.”

Mann said specific information sections had been added throughout the years in response to student feedback, including the session on networking hosted by University Career Services.

“In the orientation evaluations from previous years and other assessments, student feedback showed students were having difficulty on how to connect with their peers and creating networks,” she said.

There are 14 orientation dates for first year students throughout June and July and one make-up session in August. A parent and family orientation runs concurrently with the new student program. There are four sessions and one make-up session reserved exclusively for transfers. Sessions are limited to 300 first year students and 240 transfer students.

This year, as in years past, current UNC undergraduate students serve as orientation leaders to help guide new students through the program. This year, there are 23 leaders.

“We use orientation leaders as peer leaders to really help serve as a guide, a support someone to ask beyond the information presentation,” said Mann.

Freshman Colleen Watson felt that her orientation leader Tommy Yandle really enhanced her orientation experience.

“I liked him because he was very connected to us on our level. He didn’t treat us like high schoolers. He treated us like incoming freshmen, which was really nice.”

Freshman Bailey DeSimone said she was incredibly nervous coming to orientation. She said the thought of the college transition and signing up for classes was stressful. As a result of her experience, DeSimone was inspired to work as an orientation leader this summer.

“I know for everyone out there who’s excited about orientation, there’s another who’s apprehensive,” she said. “I want to do my best to make them all equally aware of the opportunities on campus and encourage them and help them in finding their place so they can feel at home.”

Many students said they enjoyed getting a small glimpse of college life and meeting their peers.

“I met my best friend at orientation,” said freshman psychology major Anika Khan in reference to freshman Sifron Benjamin.

Benjamin and Khan have co-captained an intramural soccer team and had three classes together this year.

“Looking back, I never thought this would happen,” Benjamin said. “I thought I’d see them (the people at orientation) on campus, but not actually be friends with them.

As an international student from China, Lili Chen felt orientation really introduced her to the campus.

“Before I came here, I didn’t think a lot of people would learn Chinese, because Chinese is so hard, but in my orientation group of just eight or 10 people, I met a girl that learned Chinese in her high school,” Chen said. “One day, I met her in Lenoir, and she was still taking Chinese classes and wanted to learn more about it. It made me very happy.”

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