Most of your friends from high school are probably gearing up to head off to college. They will arrive at school, have a day or two of “orientation,” which will consist of basic information about academics at their university, and then they will start classes. Needless to say, this could not be further from what you will experience at Rice.
Arriving at a new school is a daunting prospect, but luckily for you Rice has an orientation experience like no other. O-Week will serve as your introduction to all things Rice – academics, social life, and all of Rice’s quirks that make us love it here. Each residential college has its own O-Week with separate coordinators and advisors, but you can also expect a comprehensive introduction to all things Rice as well.
So, what exactly can you expect during the week? We can’t reveal all our secrets, but we certainly are excited for your arrival. 50% of O-Week consists of preparing you for academic life at Rice, and the other 50% consists of a head-first introduction to all things Rice and Sid. During O-Week, you will plan and register for your classes, attend a barbecue at President Leebron’s house, participate in a scavenger hunt all around campus and Houston, and much more. The students we have selected to serve as your advisors and affiliates during the week couldn’t be more excited to meet you and begin sharing their Rice experiences with you.
You will arrive and immediately meet your O-Week advisors and other new Sidizens in your O-Week group. We cannot stress enough that your advisors are here for you. They’re giving up time from their summers to return to Rice early because they genuinely care. It is our hope that you will utilize them as resources not only during O-Week but during the rest of your time at Rice as well.
Finally, O-Week is what you make of it. We encourage you to take full advantage of the new opportunities for academic growth, involvement at Rice, and friendships that O-Week will give you. O-Week offers new Sidizens a support system unique to Rice and to Sid, and our hope is that you will love it here as much as we do.
-Libby Ulman (Sid ’13)
P.S. If you’d like a sneak peek inside Sid O-Week, check out this video from last year!