Transitioning from high school to college can be a daunting task, and a mandatory summer orientation could provide a softer landing for new students’ first footsteps on Pierce College’s campus.
If Pierce mandated an orientation orientation, it would afford students an opportunity to become better informed on what the school offers and get a running start. It may even help them better define their own goals.
Eighty percent of incoming college students have not decided on amajor, according to US News. They might not even know where to start.
Pierce offers a free online orientation for new students. And, though it hiply splices helpful information with music and video, it comes up short for students who don’t have a path in mind.
The first slide of Pierce’s orientation video says having a plan is important to fulfill educational goals a student has set out.
But the video doesn’t suggest how to go about deciding on a plan, as students cannot create an education plan through online counseling, according to the orientation.
Students who do not take advantage of in-person counseling wouldn’t be informed of what major is best for getting into what career, which classes that would entail, and what university to transfer to.
There are numerous programs geared to help students succeed, but they’re for naught if they skip orientation and never see a counselor.
The Program for Accelerated College Education (PACE) is one of these programs, which aims to help students graduate in two years with fast-paced classes. The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S) helps students financially, and the Pierce College Honors Program guarantees students admission into schools like The University of California, Los Angeles.
Mandating an orientation for incoming students wouldn’t only help them get the most out of their college experience, it would help the entire Pierce community.
An in-depth orientation could allow students to get their assessment tests out of the way, enabling them to get past impacted general education classes.
Orientation could make it easier for students to know their way around campus and reduce tardiness in a semester’s first weeks.
Students could meet with clubs, sport teams, and student government representatives who could share some insight on how to be a part of the Brahma community.
Following suit with CSUN’s orientation, incoming students could be clued into campus safety practices, learn where the Sheriff’s office is. This could make the campus a more secure place.
A mandatory orientation could lessen the strain on faculty and staff.
Were students more knowledgeable and prepared, some of free professors’ and counselors’ time would be freed up, time they would have otherwise spent getting the information out student by student.
Pierce wouldn’t have to make any new hires, either. Both the orientations given by CSUN and Calif. State University, Channel Islands are lead by student volunteers.
The success engendered in new students by a mandatory orientation would grow beyond its roots.
