Bring it On! offers overnight Trent orientation

University hoping to erase anxiety of new students

Starting your first year of university can be overwhelming.

To help make the transition a smooth one, Trent University hosts a few summer activities to pave the way.

There’s a number of summer orientations for students and their families as well as Bring it On!, an overnight campus experience.

Running summer orientations helps new students get excited about starting university in the fall, while also taking away some of the anxiety, said Nona Robinson, who works in Trent’s student services and support department. “Traditional fall orientation can feel a little bit like information overload for students, because they’ve got so much to learn so quickly,” she said.

Summer orientation gives students the chance to register for courses, learn about time management and meet with academic advisors.

Robinson said time management is often something students struggle when arriving to university, with high school agendas and activities being far more structured.

“Then they get to university and they’re completely responsible for scheduling all their activities,” she said, adding time management programming helps students figure out different tips and techniques to be successful.

Orientation also gives students an opportunity to learn more about student life, clubs and groups, visit their residence, or just tour the campus.

Getting some of the groundwork out of the way helps lighten the load for newcomers who are usually already going through quite a few changes, said Robinson.

“During the first two weeks of classes, it’s not just adjusting academically – it’s adjusting to a whole range of things that are happening in your life.”

That can include living in a new city or away from home for the first time, new academic environments, less structure and unfamiliar surroundings, said Robinson.

“Anything we can do to spread out that learning a little bit, can help out a great deal.”

Bring it On! takes things on step further by having students spend the night on campus.

During the two-day event, they participate in activities, workshops, see guest speakers, and have a chance to bond with other new students.

Robinson said 165 students took part in Bring it On! last weekend with 25 upper-year student leading the way.

Trent’s next summer orientations take place Aug. 6 and 8.