Biddeford Campus Orientation

Nervous about coming to Orientation??

Unsure of what to expect??

Here are the experiences of two Orientation leaders, Alec Parenteau and Rachel Prior, that were in your shoes just a year ago.

By: Alec Parenteau

My orientation experience was absolutely a positive one. Coming into it, I was still not certain if I was going to enjoy being at UNE, and had a lot of questions about what college was going to be like. Upon arriving, the OL’s made me feel very welcomed, and the atmosphere was a very warm one. As the first day progressed I started feeling a lot more relaxed and as anxiety faded, new friends and connections began to develop. Things only went uphill from there. I loved every minute of my orientation. I can honestly say I left my session feeling completely confident in choosing UNE to be my new home away from home. Even to this day, I’m still friends with a good amount of people who I met at orientation! If I had to recommend any advice to those incoming first year students, I would emphasize that you just be yourself. College is certainly not high school. Cliques seem to disappear, and nearly everyone becomes friends with everyone. Being yourself is key to finding your soon-to-be best friends. I would also encourage everyone to make connections and branch out. If you see someone you don’t know, introduce yourself! There are plenty of opportunities during orientation to strike up conversation with someone you may not know. Take advantage of that!

By: Rachel Prior

Being a normal human being, as you can well imagine, I was utterly petrified at the thought of being surrounded by total strangers for a week!  The entire car ride to UNE for orientation, my palms were sweating and I was jabbering away aimlessly to my mother trying to ease my whirlwind thoughts. Upon arriving to campus, entirely too early, I was alone in the residence halls to unpack my bags, and even after meeting all the orientation leaders, it wasn’t until other new students started arriving when I really felt like this week was actually going to be okay.  After the first couple of hours after meeting my new floor mates, I absolutely knew that some of these people were going to be some of the closest friends I would ever have! I was also worried about whom I was going to live with during the actual school year and immediately had those worries erased from my mind when I decided to room with two of the girls that I met during orientation. That was one of the best decisions I have made, they have become two of my very best friends.  I guess through all of this the best advice I can give to you is to just put yourself out there, want to meet new people, and form new relationships.  It is a very exciting and challenging time but it doesn’t have to be that bad as long as you just enjoy yourself and have fun! Cause honestly its college Orientation! YOU’RE GOING TO COLLEGE! BE EXCITED! Can’t wait to meet you all!

Wondering what math placement is and why you have to take it??

Math placement……

• is a 2 hour multi-choice exam.
• will take place on the first day of your Orientation Session.
• does NOT allow a calculator.
• helps place you in the appropriate science and math courses.

Transfer credits will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

AP calculus results come in after Orientation so students are required to still take the exam.

It is important to take the test seriously and do your best.

Good Luck!!

For more information please check out the Math Placement page! http://www.une.edu/studentlife/biddeford/las/math/mathplacement.cfm

By: Orientation Advisor Rachel Harris

As the anxiety builds about going off to college, making a whole new group of friends and leaving home, one of the first things on a student’s mind is having to go to Orientation. It’s the first step into this exciting new life, and introduces a variety of topics of campus life to best prepare you for what to expect when you move into your Residence Hall in the fall. So if it’s your first taste of college life, why not grab the bull by the horns and jump right in? Make as much out of Orientation as you can and try a little bit of everything while you’re on campus. I would have to say that probably the best way to do this is through a Trailblazer trip.

The Trailblazer program is an optional, additional escapade that coordinates with Traditional Orientation to give students a more individualized and personal experience within their first look at college. These trips are specifically designed to bring a group of students together who have similar interests, and give them the opportunity to make connections with their peers in a smaller group setting. It definitely takes the pressure off students to make friends really quick because it’s much easier to connect with someone with less distractions as it would to do the same thing in a room with over two hundred students. Trailblazer trips are broken into two sections centered around community service and outdoor adventures.

Trailblazers in the Community is a fun way for students to make a difference in their community by volunteering at various nearby locations. It opens the door into different student lead volunteer opportunities that happen throughout the year. The TBC trips are broken down depending on how many days students want to stay on campus for their orientation. Before students participate in orientation they can opt to come to campus either one or two days prior and engage in a volunteer opportunity coupled with other fun activities. Past TBC trips have spent time at bike repair shops, soup kitchens, animal shelters, retirement homes, and have helped restore old lighthouses in the area. Apart from all their amazing volunteer work, students get the chance to hang out in this smaller group and play various games on campus, get ice cream in the evening, have bonfires, tie dye shirts, and go mini golfing. There are still several TBC trips open in all three summer sessions. Sign up fast before they’re all full!

The second option of the Trailblazer program is Trailblazers in the Outdoors. TBO is an exciting opportunity for students to meet new friends while exploring what coastal Maine has to offer. These trips also expose students to other outdoor clubs and organizations that are run during the school year. Similar to TBC, the outdoor trips vary depending on how many days the students want to stay on campus in addition to orientation. Students can chose to stay on campus one, two, or three days before orientation starts and engage in various outdoor activities that range from kayaking down the Saco River past the UNE campus, biking the beaches around the school, rock climbing and ziplining on an island in Portland’s Casco Bay, and canoeing and camping on islands in the Wiscasset area. All of these trips offer students a chance to engage with their peers who have similar interests in a smaller setting off campus. It’s a great way to learn about the school in an engaging, interactive environment. There are some spaces left for more students to join in the fun in the outdoors. Like TBC, these trips fill up quick, so if you’re interested, sign up before it’s too late!

Choosing to do a Trailblazer trip was one of the best decisions I made when I came to UNE. I was from out of New England and really felt out of place until I went on my trip. Trailblazers really gave me the chance to come out of my shell and meet new people in a less stressful situation that was off campus, but still had that genuine UNE feel. I loved the program so much that I now lead these trips for incoming first year students and I’ve seen the benefits that come out of participating in a unique experience such as this.

Not sure how registration works for your first semester??

Afraid that you won’t get first pick of classes??

You do not need to be afraid! Your schedule has been built by the Registration Services team based on your program requirements, SAT/ACT scores, transferred courses, the placement test(s) that you will take at Orientation, and by working closely with representatives from your department.  It does NOT matter what session of Orientation you are in!!

You will review your schedule with a faculty member from your major to confirm that these are appropriate selections for you on the third day of Orientation.  If you are planning on receiving Advance Placement credits, make sure you discuss this with your advisor and note the courses on the bottom of the schedule.  The Registrar’s Office will work diligently to make any requested schedule changes.  Beginning August 1st, your schedule will be final and you will have a chance to update it yourself online.  As your schedule will not be finalized until August 1st, do not purchase textbooks until after this date.

For any questions, concerns, or if you need more information contact the Registrar’s office at UNERegistrar@une.edu or 207-602-2473.  Also, there is a great website with step-by-step registration guides available at http://www.une.edu/registrar/register.cfm.

Hi! My name is Elyse Albrecht and I have the extreme pleasure of serving as the UNE Orientation Graduate Intern this summer! I am 22 years old and originally from Charleston, SC. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University in 2011, and I am currently working towards receiving my Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Auburn as well. I decided to further my education and pursue a career in higher education, because I wanted assist students and provide them with the greatest opportunity for growth throughout their college experience. I believe that college is a time for individuals to learn about themselves and I would like to have the opportunity to help them do so.

I was selected to be the UNE Orientation Graduate Intern this summer and I could not be more ecstatic about the summer that lies ahead. The University of New England was always a clear choice throughout my internship application process. The friendly staff, incredible location and small campus environment was exactly what I was looking for and it was exactly what I got when I arrived at UNE.  Since arriving I have had the opportunity to connect with incredible staff and students who have been more than welcoming and accommodating. The small campus community makes you feel comfortable and right at home and I could not imagine spending my summer anywhere else. As a new student, I challenge you to explore the opportunities available to you at UNE. Although UNE is a close-knit, do not let yourself be fooled. There is a place for everyone to make their mark at UNE and I encourage you to begin at orientation!