Orientation introduces students to IU graduate programs

While orientation is thought of primarily for incoming freshmen to the University, markedly older faces filled the lobby of the Herman B Wells Library Thursday afternoon in an event designed to introduce new graduate students to the services and information they might need for the next steps of their college careers. \nThe Graduate and Professional Student Organization sponsored the event, "Get Oriented at IU," to give the new graduate and professional students as many organization contacts and answers to questions as possible.\nAs more and more students arrived as the event went on, Suzanne Ingalsbe, GPSO office coordinator, moved around the information booth to hand out packets and name tags. \n"Our goal is for the students to be introduced to the community, feel welcome and know where they can go to ask questions," Ingalsbe said. \nGPSO hoped not only to aid the students in finding campus and community groups but also to help the groups contact new students. To do this, GPSO turned the library into an information fair filled with a mix of 45 student and community groups, including IU culture centers, the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, Writing Tutorial Services and the American Red Cross.\n"You get all the information in one place instead of running around campus," said Gulshan Patil, an informatics graduate student from India. "Maybe I'll find a group to join after walking around."\nWhile some participating students were from overseas or out of town, others completed their undergraduate degree at IU. \nJournalism graduate student Amy Paul said the orientation was optional for her but she wanted to come and find out about new opportunities. Paul and fellow journalism student Katie Sims both came to the orientation looking for undiscovered social networks and activities.\n"For freshmen, the dorms serve the social function, so this is helpful for graduate students," Paul said.\nThroughout the orientation, students had the opportunity to attend any of three different "Grad-on-Grad" panels. The panels were organized to give new students a chance to learn from older graduate students and ask any questions they might have. Panels covered topics ranging from IU healthcare plans to enjoying Bloomington. The panelists suggested that students take advantage of the health center as much as possible and suggested Hoosier Healthcare for families with voluntary IU coverage. \nPanelists also advised new students to remember that while academics is a full-time job, it is not life, and they encouraged graduate students to get out and take advantage of the opportunities. They also said graduate students should keep departmental relationships professional at all times.\nNear Eastern languages and vultures student Maryah Converse said that a lot of the things covered repeated other orientations, but they were good to hear again. Others agreed there was a lot of information to process but appreciated the chance to learn and make new contacts.