By Paul Kirsch

For our newly admitted students (and we’ve had a lot of those recently), the anticipation of waiting for a decision quickly melts away into excitement. If you haven’t already, you’ll soon be thinking about coming to campus and making a list of everything to do — from picking out new bedding, to putting the dates for fall break and home football games on your calendar, to finding a new favorite lunch spot in Ann Arbor.

It’s an exciting time!

And coming to college and starting a completely new experience away from home can stir up a lot of uncertainty and unknowns as well — and that is perfectly natural!

For the new students we’ve admitted to join the Ross Class of 2022, the first step of entering that new experience is right around the corner: Summer Orientation.

I want to try to help some of your questions surrounding Orientation by giving you a peek behind the curtain about what to expect when you arrive on campus, and how you can best prepare. If you have questions about the Orientation experience, leave them in the comments and we’ll be around to answer them.

WHAT TO EXPECT

You should expect Orientation to be both fun and educational.

There will be sessions where you will meet potential roommates, take tours, watch movies, play games, and more. But there will also be more serious sessions where you’ll learn about money management while a student, take placement exams, meet with advisors, and, importantly, register for your first classes.

You should expect to spend most of your time NOT with Ross.

Yes, you are a Ross student, but Orientation is a time for you to explore the university as a whole. As future leaders, you need to have a holistic view of the world in which you’ll operate. We also want you to understand the liberal arts and credit requirements because those experiences will inform your future course decisions, minor selections, and perhaps a dual degree.

During your time on campus this summer, you’ll spend about a full day with us here at Ross split between the last half of day two and the morning of day three. For the Ross portion of Orientation, you’ll review our academic requirements, discuss and explore our community expectations, and meet with an academic advisor.

You’ll also have plenty of time to have some fun with your new business classmates while you explore the Ross campus and interact with peer advisors. On the more-tactical end of things, you’ll also spend some time learning the course registration system in Wolverine Access.
 

HOW TO PREPARE

The biggest thing you can do to prepare for Orientation is to commit yourself to getting the most out of the experience. If you come to campus this summer expecting to just “have a good time” you probably will, but you’ll also be losing an opportunity to set a course for yourself that will lead to great success.

Instead, be curious about yourself and your future. Think about what you want to get out of your time at Michigan and jot down a few questions about those goals. Commit yourself to using Orientation as an opportunity to really understand how you can use the resources at Michigan to meet your goals over the next four years.

More practically, here are a few “MUST DOs” you need to complete before arriving for Orientation
 

Pre-Orientation Checklist:

More detailed versions of this information are also available on the Office of New Student Programs Orientation website. We encourage you to check that out as well.

Step One: Accept Admission, pay enrollment deposit, register for Orientation

We sent invitations to register for Orientation early this month to everyone who had already paid their enrollment deposit. If you paid your deposit after that first invitation, you should receive a link to register a few days after your payment is processed.

It’s important to register for Orientation as quickly as possible so you can secure your preferred date.
 

Step Two: Submit MCard photo

The MCard will be your student ID. If you don’t submit your photo before Orientation, you’ll have to pick up your card at a later date. That’s more of a hassle than just submitting your photo early and picking up your card at Orientation. More info on submitting your photo.
 

Step Three: Determine which placement exams you’ll need to take

If you are unsure as to whether you need to complete any of the exams, please review the Freshmen Placement Exam Chart.

You should take these placement tests seriously, too. It might make sense to dig out that old Spanish/Calculus/Etc notebook to brush up on a few things. Doing well on placement tests could help you get through degree requirements sooner.
 

Step Four: Pack!

We encourage you to pack lightly because you’ll need to transport your luggage to your residence hall without assistance. But, there are some important things you shouldn’t forget to bring along with your clothes: a water bottle, a backpack, comfortable walking shoes, pencils, sheets (twin size), a pillow with pillowcase, and towels and toiletries. A more complete list can be found here.