Pre-Orientation Program (POP) Helps Incoming First-Year Students Ease Into Collegiate Life
Elmira, NY (05/06/2022) — Summer Orientation, held in July each year, gives incoming Elmira College first-year students a chance to sign up for classes, meet faculty, staff, fellow classmates, and familiarize themselves with the campus. This year, students can choose to attend a special pre-orientation program (POP) that also gives them a chance to learn new skills, ease into the collegiate lifestyle, experience the surrounding community, and have some fun prior to summer orientation and the start of classes.
POPs will take place from 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. the day before each Summer Orientation session in July. Dinner is part of the experience and each program group will eat somewhere different. Students will be housed on campus in a first-year residence hall with other POP participants, and families traveling with the student will be housed in Meier Hall for the duration of Summer Orientation. There is a $50 registration fee and attendance is optional. Incoming students can register for a POP when they sign up for a Summer Orientation session, but each POP is limited to 15 students.
"POPs are a great opportunity for our new students to connect early with faculty, staff, and other students by being actively involved in an exciting and engaging day-long experience," said Dr. Elizabeth Lambert, Vice President of Campus Life and Dean of Students. "The end goal is for students to go into summer orientation the following day having made new friends and already feeling at home here."
The POPs vary for each Summer Orientation session, but each one includes activities like going to Eldridge Park to stroll and play games, learning chemistry and food prep by cooking an Italian meal in the kitchen lab, playing video games in the EC Esports Gaming Lounge, creating art based on textures found on campus, exploring a local gorge with waterfalls, competing in hands-on safety experiences in the nursing facility simulation lab, and using games and team activities to learn tips for achieving goals.
In the evening, following the POP sessions, students will be engaged in programs while their families are invited to attend a special reception with President Lindsay and his senior leadership team.
Learn more about each POP session:
Choosing whether to attend a POP is not the only decision incoming students and their families will have to make. Be sure to follow the Welcome Wednesday article series throughout May to explore the First Year Seminar (FYS) and Learning Living Community (LLC) options that incoming students can select. The deadline to select an FYS course and LLC is May 30.
Media Attachments
During the More than a Walk in the Park POP, incoming students will walk, play games, and ride one of the oldest carousels in the US.
In the Impressions of Elmira POP, incoming students will create sculptures, pottery, and collages from impressed art materials collected on a walk.
In the EC Gamers Unite! - An Afternoon of Esports Fun POP incoming students will see what Elmira College’s Varsity Esports program is all about.