There are plenty of official resources for new graduate students, but to get the inside scoop, you have to look to your fellow students. Here's a tip that Ronny Bjarnason, a PhD candidate in computer science, offered at this fall's Graduate Student Orientation.
"The first thing you want to do is to buy a laptop. I have three children, and when my wife calls and says the two-year-old has a fever of 102, I need to be able to pack up my work and go home."
New students love that kind of practical advice. Years ago, orientation was a time for administrators to stand in front of a large group of students and tell them how things are done. But that's changed entirely, and now, most of the orientation program is led by experienced graduate students, sharing their firsthand knowledge on everything from the social life of Corvallis to kick-starting a research project.
"I remember how scary it was the first time I had to TA a class," says Kristen Skinner, in her sixth graduate year in botany and environmental engineering. "It's nice to be able to pass along some words of comfort and a few survival strategies we've picked up along the way."
Between 300 and 400 new students participated in this year's orientation. After a brief welcome from Dean Francis, the event got off to a lively start with Common Pulse, a local drumming team that helps people loosen up and get to know each other by making music together. Skeptics and wallflowers were quickly drawn into the joyful rhythms, and the feeling of openness and camaraderie carried over into the discussion groups that followed.
Those included special sessions for students with families and for outdoor-sports enthusiasts. Students could also attend a more general session on activities around campus, or learn success and survival strategies from a panel of their soon-to-be colleagues. "When you're new around here, the most important thing you can do is get to know some of the more experienced graduate students," says Ronny Bjarnason. "There's a lot of knowledge in people who've been here for while."
A popular feature of orientation each year is the campus tour with Political Science Professor Bill Lunch. Lunch is a political analyst regularly featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting, which makes him a bit of a celebrity. His flair for blending history, commentary, and humor in his tours prompts even long-time Oregon Staters to join in when they see the group passing by.
Other tours featured the Valley Library and Dixon Recreation Center. Dixon was recently expanded to provide such services as physical therapy, athletic training, sports medicine, massage therapy, personal training, fitness testing, nutrition and health promotion. The facility also boasts one of the northwest's largest indoor climbing facilities.
For the first time this year, orientation was based in the CH2M Hill Alumni Center, a gorgeous conference facility that lent to the festive atmosphere of the event. Coming back to the Center at the end of the afternoon's events, students were welcomed by two dozen campus organizations, showcasing the variety of activities and services available at OSU.
New graduate students still need the kind of detailed how-to information that made up orientation programs in the past. Much of this information is now available online and through specialized department orientations. The Graduate School also offers a series of six brown-bag sessions each term, to help graduate students as they progress through their programs. Topics include funding opportunities, writing center services, and graduate committee meeting assistance.
As a central resource for all OSU graduate students, the Graduate School enjoys the role of greeting newcomers. Bringing people together and sharing common interests helps make everyone feel at home.
