Has anyone done the station pickup?
I like the idea of the students going from station to station picking up non-academic items such as pens, calulators, planners ect. Has anyone done this and if so how did it work?
Michael--
There was some discussion on 'how to' in the Interactive Orientation discussion thread (just scroll down a couple under your entry). A couple schools had already done a similar model and that may answer some of your questions.
Susan
Yes, at a former institution the new students and faculty had to go on a "Safari", which entailed visiting various locations (depts., schools, cafeteria, etc.) as part of their orientation. The faculty were surprised to learn of some of the activities on campus and got to learn more about other programs and faculty.
We have used the station pick up as a scavenger hunt as well. We made a passport that students had to get stamped as they went through the different stations in the departments. This also allowed students to meet individuals in each department and become more connected to the staff. As the students left orientation they turned in their passport and received a first day goody bag. The only pitfall is to make sure that you have enough staff members in the departments that there are not long lines and that you start groups off in different areas to prevent back ups.
Excellent observations. I really like the passport idea...'traveling' around campus. Did you include this theme in other ways as well?
We do a station pick-up, and lead each group with a current student. This works well, and the student group leaders really love showing off their school.
Our orientation does have a sort of station to station component. We provide light refreshments in the morning and have frequent breaks after each speaker to allow for student interaction. At the end of the morning session we provide various stations for book pick up & supplies, Student pictures,and a station to return paperwork and other information. During this time students are also provided lunch. By having different stations it allows students to complete the orientation at their own pace and have an opportunity to experience the campus and connect with other students. Some students like to visit all the stations and then have lunch while others eat lunch first then visit the stations. The Faculty and staff are usually walking around making sure the students are comfortable and finding their way around the campus.
Hey Michael,
We have used the "Pick-up" stations at our school. Its works great when you have the main point of contacts handing them out so the new students get to see their faces and communicate with them on the first day.
