Ensuring that learners are prepared to “Arrive and Thrive” is the goal of Lethbridge College’s annual New Student Orientation. Nearly 1,100 new students will take part in a half-day of sessions and activities designed to get them ready for student life on Tuesday, Sept. 4, before classes begin for first-year and returning students on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
“Beginning college is a major milestone in our student’s lives and we want them to be ready to succeed from day one,” says Shelley Carter-Rose, Lethbridge College’s Director of Student Services. “Our New Student Orientation has been refined over many years to get to the heart of what students have told us they want and need to know to be successful. We hope they leave the day feeling supported and prepared for the journey that lies ahead.”
Students will begin the day with program-specific orientations where they will meet their classmates and hear from their instructors. They will then take part in an institution-wide greeting at 11 a.m. that includes the inaugural “Ask the Experts panel” where a group that includes the Provost and Vice-President Academic, the Director of Student Services, an instructor and a current student will answer questions asked by the new students themselves.
“When students come to campus, they have so many varied questions on all sorts of topics,” says Carter-Rose. “This will give them a chance to learn a variety of things from those who know our college best – everything from where the best food and places to study are, to how to access health services.”
Students will also receive a free lunch courtesy of the Lethbridge College Students’ Association and ATB Financial.
Welcoming new students is more than just a one-day commitment. Other services include:
- family orientation sessions on Sunday, Sept. 2
- “Arrive and Thrive” workshops on Monday, Sept. 3
- campus tours from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2, and Monday, Sept. 3
- an Indigenous students welcome ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 11
- an international students welcome ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 15
A welcome breakfast for trades and apprenticeship students was held on Monday, Aug. 27, as classes for those students are already underway.
All first-year students are expected to attend the free New Student Orientation and must register in advance, either on-campus or through the Lethbridge College website.
Lethbridge College will provide services throughout the Labour Day long weekend, with employees on campus from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. New and returning students can stop by to meet with academic advising, registration, admissions, the bookstore, student awards and financial aid, the Buchanan Library, financial services, residence services and much more. A full list of available Labour Day weekend services is available on the Lethbridge College website.