Orientation Time: Hixson Peer Mentors Post

Here's my Orientation Time post for the actual Hixson Peer Mentors blogpost, which you can find here:

http://hixsonpeermentors.blogspot.com/2010/06/orientation-time.html

Hello Hixson Scholars of 2014! Classes have ended, summer is here, and that means Orientation is here! What is Orientation you ask? Orientation is your transition from high school to college. I know some of you have already gone through Orientation, while others of you have yet to come still. Here’s some information about what you should have gotten out of Orientation, and what you should expect if you will be coming to Orientation at a later date.

Your Orientation starts with actually checking in at the Hixson Headquarters for Registration. After that you will be getting your ISU Card (be prepared to have your picture taken…otherwise you might be stuck with a picture like mine), registering for your Iowa State e-mail address if you need to, and taking any necessary placement assessments. You will have the option of participating in a campus tour, a tour of the Parks Library, residence hall tour, or attending a program about Fraternities and Sororities. After that you will be heading over to your University Welcome Site to meet some very important people, find out all about your college and major, learn how to register for classes, and meet some wonderful Cyclone Aides. Cyclone Aides are students just like you who will be there to help you with the transition process and answer any questions you might have. I have the pleasure of being one of the Cyclone Aides you’ll be seeing this summer. I’m Austin Henshaw, a junior in Psychology from Sioux City, Iowa.

After the afternoon is over with, you have the opportunity to eat at Union Drive Marketplace, one of our three main dining centers that will be open to you in the fall. You’ll have the chance to eat with some Cyclone Aides and just make a personal connection, plus enjoy amazing food. After that you can head to a What You Need to Know presentation, where there will be two separate break-out sessions where you will get the opportunity to ask Cyclone Aides anything you want to know about Iowa State and student life, plus meet some other incoming students. Afterwards you have the opportunity to have snacks at Munch and Mingle at Clyde’s Sport Club and get any other questions answered. Additionally, there will be evening recreation available as well at the Lied Recreation Center, where you can play board games, basketball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, ping pong, racquetball, and meet more students.

On Day 2 of Orientation you will meet with your academic advisor to make your fall course selections (make sure to add U. ST 111!!!!!) and create your first semester schedule. You will also have the opportunity to attend a Resource Fair at the Memorial Union, where several university organizations will be represented, free candy handed out, and where you can learn all about the different resources Iowa State has to offer!
After you have completed your Orientation, your adventure will continue at Destination Iowa State. Destination Iowa State is our welcome program held Aug. 19-21 for new students where you will get to learn the Iowa State fight song, see the Marching Band perform, see a comedian, participate in fun recreational activities at Late Night at the Memorial Union, plus get lots of free stuff! Many of you registered at Orientation or will get the opportunity to at Orientation. If for whatever reason you didn’t get to register, you can register at https://www.admissions.iastate.edu/destination/registration.php . I speak from personal experience when I say that Destination Iowa State is definitely one of my favorite traditions at Iowa State and I really want all of you to participate!

Working as a Cyclone Aide this summer has been one of the funnest things I’ve done in my life. Having the opportunity to meet all of the incoming students and their families, and helping them throughout their transition process, is a very rewarding experience. I hope all of you have (or will have) found Orientation beneficial. If you will be attending Orientation later and if you see me around, please feel free to stop and say hi. If you have any questions about Orientation, Destination Iowa State, or anything in general, please feel free to contact me at ahenshaw@iastate.edu. See you all soon!