Orientation session different for transfer students

Incoming freshmen made way for a more seasoned crowd Friday when IU welcomed its third round of fall transfer students for orientation. Though the New Student Orientation program is required for all new students, the one-day schedule at the end of the week is dedicated to the transferees. \nDuring their visit, transfer students complete the usual orientation tasks of taking academic placement tests, meeting with advisers, registering for classes and learning about resources on campus. But, unlike the more "guided" freshman version, the transfer student itinerary is geared primarily at the services IU offers as opposed to the pressures of college life.\n"It's how you would treat your older son or daughter," said junior Jessi Riley, an orientation leader. \nJunior Noah Gambill, an orientation team leader, said the program is set up like a conference. The atmosphere is relaxed, and students can opt to take workshops on finance, housing, resources and technology, depending on what is useful to them.\n"We don't know if they've had one year, two years of college," Gambill said. "They choose what they need. College is not new to them."\nRiley said transfer students typically already know about housing and the pressures of academics.\n"We focus on resources at IU and the personnel involved. We are concerned with showing them how to find their niche at IU," she said.\nRiley and Gambill said they use their experiences as transfer students to do a special presentation for the incoming students. Riley said personal experience is a powerful aspect of their presentation.\n"I came from a small school where you just went to class and there were no extras," she said. \nRiley said she senses that many transfer students in their sessions are coming from satellite schools and regional campuses and have had similar experiences. \nGambill said the traditions and opportunities at IU make it unique from other schools, and the transition is a concern of many students. \n"The number one question is how to make the adjustment," he said. \nAshley Weddle, a sophomore transferring from IU-Purdue University Columbus, said she always planned to come to the Bloomington campus after her freshman year. On her way to registration, she said the day's orientation events left her feeling very comfortable with the campus. She thought the sessions were informational but not overdone.\n"They told us what we needed to know, but not with too much detail," she said. "We know how to handle college already."\nAbout 680 transfer students will have shared Weddle's experience by the program's completion July 27, Riley said. This is about 10 percent of all the new student participants. \nRiley said she hopes the transfer orientation will make IU feel "homey" to the students involved. \n"They know the statistics; they know there will be 38,000 people here," she said. "We want to give them an outlet to be not so overwhelmed, so they know it's more than just 38,000 students running around trying to get to class"