McLarty, Office, of Student Life, Mississippi University for Women, Week 5

Activities

-       Organized materials for both orientation sessions including t-shirts, check-in materials, snacks, etc.

-       Prepared activity for Orientation Leaders to help calm them before orientation

-       Checked to ensure that all rooms were properly set up for orientation sessions

-       Constructed information sheet for Orientation Leaders to know each student in each group for orientation

-       Ensured schedule was correct for orientation

-       Helped lead orientation in any and every way possible

Reflection

            This week was all about orientation, and I enjoyed every minute of it. From the moment I got on campus Wednesday, I was excited. The Orientation Leaders were coming back to town for the last two orientation sessions (Transfer 2 and Freshmen 2), and the whole office was excited. Once the Orientation Leaders were back on campus, the first thing we did was ensure that everything was prepared. Preparation is key in working with orientation. We had everything put into boxes and labeled them as much as possible. For example, we separated t-shirts into boxes for transfer students who had ordered a t-shirt, freshmen students who had ordered a t-shirt, and extra t-shirts. Those who had ordered t-shirts already had them labeled for us to hand them as soon as they checked in. As simple as this sounds, this type of preparation is necessary. When working with orientation, individuals do not want to spend time on petty things such as trying to find the correct t-shirt. This is why all of the preparation is necessary. Checking and double-checking orientation schedules are also important. We wanted to make sure that the Orientation Leaders knew their posts at all times. This makes for a much smoother session.

            Another aspect of orientation that I found was very important in preparation was having all information in an easily readable format. The schedules were very easy to read, and I wanted to be sure that all Orientation Leaders had a list of which students were in which group. If a student were to get lost and not know which group he or she was in, the Orientation Leader could simply look at the list and know where the group was. Again, being prepared with simple steps can make a world of difference in orientation. Aside from preparation, we wanted to make sure the Orientation Leaders had a break from all of the stress. We had them participate in a craft activity – making a superhero cape out of a t-shirt. I feel that it is important to give leaders a break sometimes. This activity was so much fun. They really loved getting to be creative and make capes. In our eyes, the Orientation Leaders really are superheroes for pushing through this summer and representing MUW.  They really gave the sessions their all, and they needed something to show for it. Connecting with the Orientation Leaders was extremely fun, and I feel like we became even closer. Being able to communicate easily and effectively with students is very important in my future career as a student affairs professional.

            Friday was all about transfer orientation. We had an early morning start at 7:00 AM. As early as this was, the Orientation Leaders were ready to go. They were extremely excited to get the day started. This is the type of passion that makes me truly excited about this team and this office. We got all of the snacks and check-in materials prepared and headed to the auditorium to begin orientation. Everything went very smoothly until lunch, when some students decided to leave until advising time. Transfer students can be hard to reach through orientation. They have already been through a part of college, and the main reason they attend orientation tends to be for advising, though not all attend for only this reason. Some of them feel that the information sessions about financial aid, involvement, traditions, and more are irrelevant to them. Although as student affairs professionals, we promote holistic development, some transfer students feel as if these sessions do not affect them. The Orientation Leaders still kept their excitement, and involved the students as much as possible to get them excited about their future at MUW. All in all, orientation was great, and I am looking forward to Monday’s freshman orientation.