Standardised orientation program for first year undergraduate students in the College of Health and Science at the University of Western Sydney: a practice report

First year students often feel ill-equipped academically and emotionally, hindering their integration and adjustment into university life. This report describes a standardised orientation program for first year undergraduate students focusing on peer and academic support based on “just-in-time” and “just-for-me” principles, assisting commencing students to achieve a smooth transition into university. This initiative has been employed since 2009, in one of the three large colleges at the University of Western Sydney, to foster a sense of community and reduce stress among commencing students. Building on existing orientation activities, we introduced three new activities which focused on “just-in-time” information for the first year: first semester experience, incorporation of student presentations and the inclusion of ice-breaker activities. Evaluative feedback revealed strong academic support for the initiatives, with College of Health and Science students reporting their orientation experience significantly more positively than students from the other two colleges.