The Office of First-Year Experience is responsible for making the transition from high school to college as smooth as possible for first-year students.
A first-year student’s OFYE is broken down into three phases: pre-arrival and orientation, evoLUtion seminar and 5×10 programs.
PreLUsion is a three-day program prior to orientation that allows first-years to explore a new passion, learn about life at Lehigh and develop friendships before more students arrive.
The programs, such as Discover Lehigh, GlobaLehigh, Start it Up and SustanabLEHIGH allow students to meet other like-minded peers in an environment that matches the specific theme of the program. Many programs include an opportunity to get off campus and explore related places. Students who participated in the Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP) this summer traveled to the Poconos to hike and raft, among other outdoor activities.
“Signing up for OAP was probably the best decision I’ve made, besides choosing Lehigh,” Emmaline Yang said. “I made so many friends who I eat meals with every day. Before the program, I had never done any outdoorsy things. But after OAP, I found out that I love hiking, rafting and zip lining.”
Nathan Adjei, ’22, also participated in PreLUsion.
“I met a lot of people before coming to Lehigh and made new friends,” Adjei said. “I liked the small group discussions because I learned a lot about Lehigh before orientation.”
The remainder of first-years arrived on campus on Aug. 23 for the start of orientation.
There were 81 orientation leaders who spent weeks preparing to welcome the class of 2022 to campus.
“I was inspired by the bond that all the orientation leaders had and how they wanted to make an impact on the first years and help them build their foundation for their next four years,” said Mustaffa Said, ’20, an orientation leader.
Despite high praise for their orientation leaders, many first-years had mixed emotions about the orientation experience.
“I appreciated learning my way around, but there was a lot of unnecessary programs throughout orientation,” Jake Stein, ’22, said.
The EvoLUtion seminar, the next phase of first-year programming, focuses on the Five Foundations of Student Success: Creative Curiosity, Identity Development, Collaborative Connections, Inclusive Leadership and Professional Growth and Success. Students met with their seminar leaders either in a small group or individually to learn more about campus life and connect with other first-years.
“I enjoy getting involved with first-years and don’t usually get that opportunity with the other programs I advise,” Carter Gilbert, the assistant director of the Office of Student Engagement, said. “EvoLUtion provides an area where you get to meet people that you wouldn’t otherwise get to meet.”
EvoLUtion seminars, too, had mixed reviews from students.
“EvoLUtion is redundant because a student is supposed to naturally acclimate him or herself to college life,” Sam Striz, ‘22, said.
OFYE also requires first-year students to complete five 5x10s. Students must complete one 5×10 in each foundation in a span of 10 weeks.
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