Orientation for the new semester included on-the-spot answers to student questions
The University of Regina (U of R) campus is back in action after a winter break that lasted a little more than a fortnight.
As continuing students get into yet another action-packed semester, there is a large community of new students who are going to become a part of the existing university community. Winter 2024 orientation for incoming students took place on January 4 and 5, 2024 as a two-day event before the beginning of classes.
The orientation, organized and hosted by UR International, was held in-person on campus. The events that were held had a lot of essential information to offer the newcomers. U of R ambassadors who volunteered for the orientations spoke to the Carillon about the events and their experience through them.
Mohammad Akib Hossain, a third-year Computer Science student and one of the ambassador leaders at the U of R, described his time as an ambassador as life-changing and one of the most rewarding experiences at the university. Hossain had some insights to offer about the Winter 2024 orientation which he volunteered for: “Winter 2024 orientation for the international students was held on the 4th of January and a combined student panel event for both domestic and international students was held on the 5th of January. The orientation was divided into two parts since the international students coming to a whole new country usually need a lot more information than the domestic students.”
“The orientation’s highlight was the students’ panel that took place on the second day,” he continued. “It was supposed to be a 20-minute event but ended up lasting for about two-and-a-half hours! Students could ask a variety of questions regarding their majors, life at the university, job opportunities and so on. The panel helped ease a lot of apprehension that the students had about embarking upon their university journey, more so for the international students. I had a blast as well!” he said.
“I had the privilege of participating in the student panel alongside two other ambassador leaders and two peer advisors. It was a rewarding experience addressing queries from newly admitted students about the university, covering topics such as book sources and class registration. I also had the opportunity to assist a couple of biology majors with specific questions related to biology. Contributing to the welcoming atmosphere for newcomers, offering guidance, and sharing my experiences allowed me to provide valuable insights and also help them avoid the mistakes I made when I was at their position,” said Maliha Jabeen Khan, a third-year Science major and another one of the ambassador leaders at the University.
The event, although mainly designed for newcomers, was also attended by continuing students and was a great way to welcome the incoming community of new students. The Carillon wishes the newcomers the very best of luck and hopes that their university experience is rewarding as it can be. To the community coming back, you know the drill!
