{"id":17505,"date":"2011-09-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-09-01T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yfiledev.uit.yorku.ca\/2011\/09\/01\/international-student-orientation-aims-to-engage-and-inform\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T08:46:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T12:46:45","slug":"international-student-orientation-aims-to-engage-and-inform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/2011\/09\/01\/international-student-orientation-aims-to-engage-and-inform\/","title":{"rendered":"International student orientation aims to engage and inform"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arriving in Canada to attend university for the first time can be an overwhelming and sometimes isolating experience. To combat that, York International has rolled out welcome week for the first time prior to orientation to help new international and exchange students develop a social network early on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to get them engaged as soon as possible so they start having a positive experience with the University right away,\u201d says Craig Wright, coordinator of international student programs at York International. \u201cHaving a social network really influences the student\u2019s ability to do well academically.\u201d It helps foster friendships so they have a peer to turn to when they have a small problem, which often prevents it from becoming a big one. Welcome week continues until tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\"ThisRight: This year's international and exchange students get to know each other during welcome week<\/strong><\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the only thing that is new this fall. Orientation, which is free and mandatory for international and exchange students, has also undergone changes to make it more accessible, dynamic and appealing. \u201cMy focus has always been the students,\u201d says Wright.<\/p>\n

Taking the recommendations of a recent focus group of former international students into consideration, Wright says York International has revamped orientation into shorter and more interactive sessions. Instead of two sessions, three will be offered with a focus on what they need to know the most. The sessions will cover culture, laws, immigration and health, \"Canadianisms\", cross-cultural adjustment, an introduction to Toronto, student survival, as well as the customs and taboos of the city and the country in which they will be living.<\/p>\n

\"Left: International and exchange students attend an orientation session last year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following the sessions, the students will then be directed to websites where they can access more information and resources. The sessions are designed to help students adapt and integrate more quickly in their new country. They will still get the same critical information as in previous years, but it will be delivered in more manageable bites.<\/p>\n

One way York International is doing that is by running a month-long Living in Canada Series starting the second week of September, looking at topics such as finance, safety, healthy eating, laundry and cleaning, and work programs for international students. The series will run again during fall co-curricular week. \u201cMany of the students have never had to cook or clean for themselves,\u201d says Wright. \u201cUsually around mid-October, we\u2019ll get a student coming in asking when the maid comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The series will\u00a0convey the same information that was delivered during previous orientations, but it will now cover even more. The Living in Canada Series will begin with a session on safety on Sept. 12, followed by one on food, groceries and healthy eating on Sept. 14, cell phones and communication on Sept. 20, laundry and cleaning on Sept. 22, banking on Sept. 26, credit cards on Sept. 28, immigration on Oct. 4 and work programs for international students on Oct. 6. All sessions will\u00a0take place from\u00a0noon to 1pm at 242 York Lanes, Keele campus.<\/p>\n

The first International student orientation session\u00a0runs today, from 8:30am to 4pm,\u00a0in Room\u00a0206, Accolade West Building. The next one takes place tomorrow, from\u00a08:30am to 4pm, at The Underground Restaurant in the basement of the Student Centre and Saturday, Sept. 17, from\u00a010am to 5:30pm, at The Underground Restaurant. Students need to attend only one of the three sessions.<\/p>\n

\"To register, visit the York International Orientation Registration<\/a> web page.<\/p>\n

Right: International and exchange students field questions from new students during last year's orientation<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition, York International will also host two social events for new international and exchange students. There are a limited amount of seats for each event, so get your tickets early to avoid disappointment. The social events are as follows:<\/p>\n