Reflections on UTM Orientation: How welcoming are we?
Two first-years’ honest reviews of orientation’s impact.

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My misadventures as a first-year
By Duaa Umer

My first impression of UTM was during UTM’s orientation week. My thoughts? Wow, this place is HUGE! The William G. Davis (DV) Building alone is bigger than my reserved local high school could ever hope to be. Now imagine my reaction when I found out that there are 28 more buildings on campus, the main six being just as big as Davis!

I am sure many other first years were also shocked at the sheer volume and liveliness of the campus during orientation week. I remember the Student Centre being full during the Premier 26’. 

Students and activities drew our attention in every way. We could do face painting, henna, portraits, enjoy food, and more! And that was just the first floor—don’t even get me started on the second floor. 

It was all very exciting, and maybe even a bit overwhelming. My friends and I eagerly jumped from booth to booth, where each artist blew us away.

We chatted with upper-year students about their courses and experiences, and garnered any crumbs of wisdom they dropped for us. We enjoyed ourselves—maybe a bit too much. 

By the time we finally made it back to DV for campus tours, the line wrapped around itself, twice! A volunteer handing out tour tickets told us she didn’t think we’d make it to our turn before tours for the day ended. She suggested we try our luck with the QR code for the digital tour instead.

So I walked into that first week of university with the confidence of a blind duck. I followed the flow of student traffic, not knowing the basic campus layout or good places to eat, let alone where my lectures were. Although, from asking around, I knew I wasn’t alone.

A first-year I met in the library elevator showed me her “map of shame” while sharing her own story. 

“I got lost and asked around so much that the lady recognized me. She gave me a physical map, and circled my classes for me,” she laughed. “Oh my God, I feel like a time traveller holding this thing up to my face, trying to figure out where I’m supposed to go.” 

Meanwhile, a peer from my PSY100 lab shared that she walked into the wrong lecture three times in a row since classes started. “It was so embarrassing,” she groaned. 

Someone from BIO152 told me she set her schedule as her lock screen to avoid getting lost. My best friend showed me how she synchronized her classes to her calendar app to avoid being late. The list of stories only goes on.

Connecting with other first-year students through this universal experience made me realize something important—the transition from high school to university is jarring. 

We go straight from senior year all the way back to first year. We were the big fish in little ponds. Now we are guppies in the ocean. For many, the beginning of university marks the beginning of adulthood, which comes with more independence. Living on our own, managing our own expenses, exploring our own paths—it is all about making our own decisions. 

What many find hard to admit is that independence also comes with fear—the fear of having to do it all alone, and doing it wrong. Our future rests on our shoulders. Everything we do counts. These are subconscious thoughts many first-years have, which dampen our excitement for university with worry. 

When these thoughts surface, I remind myself of orientation week: the people who smiled and pointed me in the right direction, the numerous resources and help facilities available for students who feel lost like me, and how welcomed I felt the moment I stepped into this university. 

Whether it is general staff, upper years, or other first years navigating the same confusion, there’s always someone who gets it. No matter how big the campus may be, there are always people close by, willing to help. 

You don’t have to have it all figured out on your own just yet.

How orientation helped an introvert integrate with UTM’s social life
By Krittika Bhateja

Orientation welcomes first-years to university through social events designed to make a lasting impact and help kickstart their new phase of life. But how much does orientation actually help students prepare themselves for this transition? 

Personally, orientation helped me integrate into my university social life. With over 130 activities, UTM first-years like myself had a variety of events to choose from. From educational sessions like Academic Planning 101 to more fun, social activities like Capture the Eagle, there was something for everyone. 

As an introvert, I leaned towards some of the lower-energy activities. I found the Facilitated Study Groups event especially informative about the resources and additional support available to me outside of office hours and tutorials. Other informative sessions which I found helpful include Commuter 101, The Key to Forensics, and the Resource and Student Group fairs. 

Let’s not forget UTM Students’ Union’s (UTMSU) Premiere ‘26 events. From the Student Centre Debut, After Party, and Action Day to the Premiere Night and Paint and Glow, UTMSU events were the most anticipated activities throughout the week. The board game-oriented sessions were my favourite, because they were a great way to meet new people and the energy was constantly high. Some card games were calm, while some rounds of Secret Hitler got heated fast. 

It’s hard not to make friends in such a welcoming environment, especially if you participate in various activities throughout orientation week. Another thing that I noticed is that orientation helped me redevelop my social skills. 

After four years of seeing and talking to the same community, socializing with new faces wasn’t something that came easily to me. Even though I don’t see many of the friends I made during orientation week (mostly due to being in different programs and having different schedules), the initial transition period helped me become more comfortable putting myself out there. 

During the first week, the campus was filled with a spirited energy that was definitely felt by many. Even though orientation is a soft launch into the true experience of university, I found it to be a helpful stepping stone as I started my first year here at UTM.

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