English composition 1302/ Argumentative Essay

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Draper 3

Allison Draper

Alex Kurian

ENGL 1302

23 Feb. 2015

For Mandatory College Orientation

Most people viewed college orientation in the past as an important event. As time has changed, so have people’s perceptions of mandatory college orientation. Some believe college orientation should not be mandatory because it may seem pointless, time consuming and some people do not want to pay the fee to attend. However, this is not the best option; it is actually a benefit to attend college orientation. According to a study done in 2012 by Matthew Mayhew et al., “…students not only attended these programs [college orientation] but credited them with strongly influencing their expectations of the collegiate experience and in improving adjustment rates of performance, retention and graduation.” College orientation should be mandatory because it allows students to become familiar with the campus, learn more about their major and courses and have the opportunity to meet new people.

Transitioning into a new environment can be difficult and at times it can even be overwhelming. College orientation is a pivotal time where new students should take the advantage of becoming familiar with the campus before their first day of classes. According to Brent Bell et al., based on a study conducted in 2013, “A total of 1,758 colleges were contacted. Of these, 902 reported having outdoor orientation programs, in different parts of the college, so that students could actually see and experience various areas of the campus.” Outdoor orientation is becoming more popular because the students experience more than sitting around and learning information from PowerPoints and seeing maps of the different parts of the campus. Knowing where places such as labs, tutoring centers, testing centers, the library, the advising department and gym/activity center are located are crucial to a student’s college experience. Many colleges in the United States cover hundreds, if not thousands, of acres. According to Colorado State University, orientation programs are responsible for “Providing a space for students to physically interact with the campus by experiencing classroom space, residence hall space (at Preview), and locating important buildings prior to their arrival and start of classes.” One part of their freshmen orientation program (‘Preview’) even allows students to “Stay one night in a residence hall to become familiar with life on campus prior to move in day” (Colorado State University). Due to the change that the new students are faced with, this knowledge is great to have so the students are able to become more familiar with the campus.

Students are also given the chance to learn more about their major and classes by attending college orientation. One of my friends, Taylor Thompson, a current freshman at the University of Oklahoma, told me that at the college orientation he attended, he was able to join a specialized group of people who were also going to major in the same thing he was. They were able to ask a professor and some current students any questions they had that pertained to college in general, but specifically, their major. Many orientation programs are now enabling students to make better choices in the classes they choose. According to Mayhew et al., during orientation, students “… may meet with an academic advisor to plan their fall schedule, or take formal assessments such as math or writing placement tests.” At Front Range Community College, during orientation, students can “Register for [their] first semester of classes with the assistance of an advisor” and “Get an overview of tools and resources to help [them] be successful in and out of the classroom” (Front Range Community College). Choosing classes carefully is crucial, since no student wants to repeat a course unnecessarily. Orientation can also greatly help students in figuring out the best days/times for certain classes, so they can balance their schedule accordingly. Time and money are valuable to everyone, especially students. Therefore, attending orientation can help lower the chances of wasting either of those.

When students move to a new environment such as a new state, city or school, they usually have to meet new people. A benefit of college orientation is that the incoming students have the possibility of meeting both professors and other students. According to Smith College, during orientation, students can “… expect to meet interesting and diverse members of the Smith community, including other new students, returning students, faculty, staff and administrators.” When attending orientation, there is an assortment of activities going on. Professors give presentations, and students talk about the different clubs and activities that are available on campus. Through these, incoming students have the chance to interact with others. One of the goals of new student orientation at Vassar College is to help students “…begin to master the art of living cooperatively and begin to make healthy social connections within a diverse community” (‘New Student Orientation’). The importance of meeting new people should not be underestimated. According to Steltenpohl et al., “Most important: they meet other students – both upperclassmen and their fellow first years. They can hear about life at college from those who’ve been there, and begin making the new friends who will share their journey in the fall.” Students then have other people to talk to, help them study and keep one another accountable throughout the semester. For example, students can talk to others about school or similar interests they may have, they can study in small or large study groups and can also keep one another accountable for making good grades, not cheating and obeying the laws by making smart decisions.

College orientation is extremely important for numerous reasons and is something students should look forward to. By attending college orientation, students are more prepared for what will be happening in the future because they will be familiar with the campus. When one knows the surrounding areas well, he or she is able to focus more on other things. In this circumstance, when students know the campus well, they are able to focus more heavily on their schoolwork and make a good start to their college career. “Adapting to the environment of college involves significant adjustments in all areas of life” (Ribbe et al.). Orientation is an event that can make this adjustment easier because of all the valuable information that students learn about the campus.

Works Cited

Bell, Brent J., et al. "A Census of Outdoor Orientation Programs at Four-Year Colleges in the United States." Journal of Experiential Education, vol. 33, no. 1, July 2012, pp. 1-18. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5193/JEE33.1.1. Accessed 20 Feb. 2015.

Mayhew, Matthew, et al. The Impact Of Orientation Programs On Student Learning. Yale University Press, 2012. 54, 71.

‘New Student Orientation.’ Front Range Community College, n.d. https://www.frontrange.edu/getting-in/new-student-orientation. Accessed 20 Feb.2015.

‘New Student Orientation.’ Vassar College, n.d. https://newstudents.vassar.edu/orientation. Accessed 21 Feb.2015.

‘New Student Orientation Programs.’ Colorado State University, February 2013, http://www.otp.colostate.edu/Data/Sites/1/pdfs/talkingpoints.pdf. Accessed 21 Feb.2015.

‘Orientation Programs.’ Smith College, n.d. https://www.smith.edu/student-life/orientation.

Accessed 19 Feb.2015.

Ribbe, Robert1, [email protected], et al. "Exploring the Impact of an Outdoor Orientation Program on Adaptation to College." Journal of Experiential Education, vol. 39, no. 4, Dec. 2010, pp. 355-369. EBSCOhost, doi:101177/1053825916668900. Accessed 19 Feb.2015.

Steltenpohl, Elizabeth, et al. Orientation to College: A Reader on Becoming an Educated Person. Wadsworth, 2005. 37.