6 Ways To Welcome New First-Year Students

By Julia Dunn on September 19, 2016

It’s move-in day, and as a continuing student you brace yourself for the thousands of new students just arriving to your campus. They don’t know where the dining halls are, can’t find their residential building, and can’t tell the difference yet between the campus loop buses and the city’s metro buses.

You might be excited that they’re here, or you may be dreading the crowds; either way, it’s so important to be kind to new frosh as they adjust to college lifestyles, independence and navigating the intricacies of selecting the right courses.

Here are six ways you can welcome new first-year students to your university this year.

1. Declare yourself a resource.

Thinking back to when you were a first-year college student yourself; wouldn’t it have been great if continuing students had come up to you and said “Hey! If you have any questions about getting around campus, my number is ____”?

One of the best ways you can welcome new students to your campus is by outright declaring yourself a resource of information, advice and suggestions for making good use out of campus services and facilities. If you run into a new student and strike up a conversation, end the conversation by letting the person know they can talk to you if they need help over the next few weeks of adjustment.

2. Get involved in welcome week events and programs.

At the start of the school year, activities offices are busier than ever with programming enough community-building events to engage first-years with their new campus. Contact any units on campus that may be hosting events for first-year students and find out how you might be able to get involved either in planning events or helping to run an existing event.

Your support at welcome week events will make better experiences for frosh.

3. Make a list of tips/share advice with new students.

You’ve surely made a few mistakes here and there in college, and hopefully by now you’ve turned those experiences into wisdom that can help new students avoid the same mistakes.

One helpful way to welcome new students can be as easy as posting a list of college survival tips and tricks on the incoming class’ Facebook page (if one exists). This way, you’ll be able to share your valuable knowledge with students who may not be as sure of themselves in such a new environment.

Anything you can do to make a new student’s experience easier is always going to be appreciated!

Image via Pixabay

4. Answer questions.

If a frosh asks you a question, go out of your way to give them the most detailed, cohesive answer you can think of. New students will have questions about literally anything related to campus life, roommate interactions and enrolling in classes, so treat them well — questions having answers that are obvious to you may not be obvious to a student from Illinois attending a University of California campus.

Many first-years wear a lanyard containing their keys and ID card, and others have name tags left over from frosh orientation. These identifiers usually signify that a student is relatively new. Reach out to them with a phrase like “Hi! How are you liking (insert school name here)?” or “Do you need any help finding (insert name of building)?”

You never know how meaningful this may be to a confused student who was too nervous to ask anyone for help.

5. Smile and be friendly.

You never know what a new student may be feeling about college — some are thrilled, others are anxious, and others are having a really rough time away from home. Simply being friendly to new people is so important — so important that the power of a smile is often underestimated.

When a first-year walks up to their first orientation event or to a booth for logistical materials, they gather a first impression (or many impressions) of their college environment. If the first person they speak to is friendly and helpful, students will remember that moment and allow that impression to color the following experiences they’ll have in college.

For this reason, it’s important to make new students feel supported and comfortable in their new space.

6. Get to know students and their families (if applicable).

Especially if you’re a member of the student staff working at move-in day, you may be in a role as a check-in table manager where you literally interact with every single new student (disseminating key packets, student ID cards, etc).

This is a wonderful opportunity to make a connection with each student and their families, and the more you develop a nice conversation with a new student, the more accepted they’ll likely feel in their new home. Plus, the student’s family will feel even better about leaving their child alone at a university knowing they’re in your hands.

Whenever you might feel the slightest bit of irritation towards all of the new first-years infiltrating your campus and its resources, remember the experience you had when you spent your first day or two on campus. Regardless of how that went for you, make sure you contribute to a positive welcome for new students this year!

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