Incoming freshman are traveling to Stillwater throughout the summer to partake in the orientation and enrollment program, which the office of New Student Orientation and Enrollment operates.
Trinity Smith, coordinator of New Student Orientation and Enrollment, said the program gives students an ease of mind about going to college.
“It’s the first time we get to see them on campus and they get to see this is where they want to be,” Smith said.
There are 20 orientation and enrollment sessions offered during the summer, consisting of 11 two-day programs and nine one-day programs.
Missy Wikle, director of New Student Orientation and Enrollment, said students meet with academic advising offices and enroll for classes during sessions.
Each individual orientation and enrollment session allows a maximum of 170 incoming freshman to attend. Smith said the office of New Student Orientation and Enrollment expects about 380 people total with a combination of students, parents and siblings.
Wikle said the office of New Student Orientation and Enrollment expects to see about 3,200 freshman attending OSU during the 2008-2009 school year.
A main part of the orientation and enrollment activities is the student’s access to meeting with their advisers and enrolling for classes.
Smith said the orientation and enrollment program is designed to be academic in nature.
“Our goal through the orientation process is to help students transition academically,” Smith said.
Although meeting with the academic advisers is one of the activities students participate in, there are others that occur during the orientation and enrollment sessions.
Smith said students learn to use the student information system, how to enroll for classes and work with a designated orientation leader.
The student information system offers incoming freshman a tool for managing and organizing important academic information needed to help with college. Orientation leaders are trained to answer questions and help students feel comfortable during an orientation and enrollment session.
Rebecca Coughlin, an incoming freshman from Texas, attended a one-day session this summer and said it was helpful and informing.
“The overall feeling I got while I went through the orientation and enrollment activities was positive with the help and assistance from my orientation leader,” Coughlin said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming to OSU, but now I feel more comfortable when I come up in the fall.”
Smith said the one-day orientation and enrollment programs are more crammed with information.
Students who attend the one-day programs start activities at 9 a.m. and end about 4 p.m.
Smith recommends the two-day orientation and enrollment programs because students receive more information in the extended period of time.
All students who are accepted to OSU are required to attend an orientation and enrollment session.
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