Does Orientation Truly Help Freshmen Ease Into the College Transition?

Marist's Orientation Leaders work hard to make new students feel welcome.

Orientation is a mandatory summer event hosted as a way to welcome all the new and incoming freshmen to Marist University. With icebreakers, tours of the campus and dorms and even a free lunch to try out the Murray Dining Hall, orientation serves as a way to meet new people as well as ease into the transition of freshman year.

But with everything Marist's orientation has to offer, does it truly help freshmen ease into this new chapter, or does it just heighten the anxiety many are already facing?

It can be overwhelming moving from your little hometown to a university like Marist, but for Jacqui Bachman ‘30, orientation felt like the perfect way to get in the groove.

“I honestly had a really good time at orientation and I think it definitely forced me out of my shell in a good way,” Bachman said.

“It was pretty good, definitely nerve-racking but it for sure helped me meet some new people,” Ryan Asenbauer ‘30 said. “It was a lot for one day, but I'm also glad that it was earlier in the summer so I wasn’t guessing how it’d go the whole summer.”

Orientation is more than just traditional first-year freshmen visiting Marist's campus, with a separate orientation available to welcome in the freshmen who will be spending their first year or semester abroad.

“Having this orientation before getting on a flight to travel to a new country was especially valuable,” said Haven James ‘30, a first-year abroad student studying in Florence, Italy. “Having an orientation beforehand allowed us to meet and become comfortable with some of the people we would be traveling with. That way, when we arrive in a completely new place, we are not arriving by ourselves without knowing anyone.”

Freshman year can be a little stressful, scary and very overwhelming. Whether orientation was your favorite part of coming to Marist or the part you wish you could wipe from your memory, orientation welcomes you to the Red Fox family and opens up the gates to the endless opportunities students have at Marist. 

Students from all years remember what it was like to start at Marist. Some say it was one of the scariest moments of their lives while others may say it was just alright. With time, though, comes growth. 

Stepping outside your comfort zone is a great way to bring change into your experience. Talking to the people in the elevator challenges you to meet the people in your building. Club fairs and dining hall meals are also key moments to meet new people. Don’t be afraid to be your true, authentic self, because it's the best version of you that matters. 

Best of luck to all the incoming freshmen and welcome to Marist.