YORK, Pa. — For many students, New Student Orientation (NSO) is their first real step in their Penn State story. Before courses begin, before they meet new friends and, in some cases, before they move away from home for the first time, they come to campus to:
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Meet staff, faculty and students
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Develop academic and co-curricular goals
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Become familiar with the campus and resources
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Schedule courses
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Get their Penn State ID+ card
NSO is offered on several dates throughout the summer in the John J. Romano Administration Building on the York campus, beginning on June 12. Students are welcome to invite a support person to accompany them, though advance registration is required.
While the orientation is primarily organized by the Advising and Career Development Office, departments from across the campus step in to contribute their time and talents.
“It’s a campus-wide effort to welcome the new members of the campus community,” said Andrew Caldwell, director of advising and career development. “We are intentional about seeing them as individuals, meeting them, learning about who they are and what they want to become at Penn State and a big part of that is helping them clarify their goals, then match those with the opportunities available to them at Penn State.”
Students and their guests will start the day together in the lecture hall, where they will hear and introduction from Caldwell, along with campus administrators, then watch a welcome video by President Neeli Bendapudi. These lectures typically cover the importance of getting involved, meeting with advisers and learning time management, which can be one of the more challenging transition issues for incoming students.
Students will then break into three groups and rotate between workshop sessions covering:
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Academic advising
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Time management case study
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Academic planning and preparation
Next, students will move into scheduling their courses with assistance from NSO advisers and staff.
While the students complete these activities, their guests will attend presentations about academic success and campus life resources, followed by a panel discussion.
After a brief break, all attendees will reconvene for a financial aid presentation and learn next steps before departing for retrieval of their Penn State ID+. Attendees will also receive a special discount to Rosie’s Café — Penn State York’s on-campus dining hall.
Following NSO, students will be invited to New Student Welcome (NSW), which is hosted by the Office of Student Affairs and is focused more on helping students become more acclimated to the campus and get to know each other. This semester’s NSW will be held on Friday, Aug. 23 ,in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center.
For more information about NSO, please email advising@psu.edu or call 717-771-4053. For information about NSW, email jzg6131@psu.edu or call 717-771-4045.