Now hiring: New Transfer Student Orientation Staff Members

Did you have a good time at your orientation?
Did you have a BAD time at your orientation?
Do you want to make a difference at your university?
Do you want to meet the best friends you will have at this university?

Then BE THE MOST. And be an Orientation Staff Member. We want transfer students like you!!!!

Visit www.BeTheMost.com to learn more about being an Orientation Staff Member and apply.

Applications are due October 4th for Summer 2011!!

This is guaranteed to be one of the most transformational summers of your life.

Sorry I've been MIA/Road closures!

Hi Terps!

Sorry I have been MIA the past couple of weeks. We are in the midst of getting ready for the summer and things have been busy. We are almost set for our first group of students to show up on June 1 and our first transfer program on June 9!

We just ended our first day of training week and things are looking good. I think it's going to be a good summer.

I just wanted to inform all our commuter terps with a couple of BIG road closures on campus this summer.

1. Campus Drive (the main road through campus) will be closed from mid-June through August from the Circle M all the way to Cole Field House. That means that you will have to drive around campus or enter through 193 at Paint Branch or Adelphi. Only buses will be let through during that time and for the second half of the summer, even some buses will not be allowed to go through there. So make sure you provide extra time to get around campus or find the parking lots and learn about how you to get your class by walking.

2. The second road closure is Farm Drive. This is over on the North side of campus near Comcast. This road is in between the farm and the practice soccer field. Most people don't drive up this road, but if you are looking to park in certain areas by the gym (ERC) or to get to certain residence halls, this may hinder your most easily navigable path.

Take care!

Terp Transfer Spring Fling

From the off-campus student involvement office:

Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 3:30PM-5:00PM

Prince George’s Room, The Stamp

ATTENTION TRANSFER STUDENTS!  Join us as we celebrate spring and the end of the semester!  Enjoy free pizza and refreshments as you interact with other transfer students and meet representatives from various campus departments.  This is your chance to let us know how the university can better serve you!  THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE TO ARRIVE WILL RECEIVE A FREE OFF-CAMPUS TERPS T-SHIRT!

Please RSVP to Darian Schiffman at darianis@umd.edu by Friday, April 23. For more information, contact Darian at darianis@umd.edu or 301-314-7250. Sponsored by the Learning Assistance Service of the Counseling Center and Off-Campus Student Involvement. 

Orientation!!!

Transfer students often wonder why they have to attend an Orientation Program at UMD. You've already been to another university or college, right? You know how to take classes, how to park your car, how to study and join a club, right?

Well, not so fast. You may know how to do all those things and more at your previous institution, but things at UMD are a bit different.

Our Orientation Program sets you up for success for your first few weeks of school so that you can continue to utilize the other resources on campus for the rest of your tenure on campus. The Orientation Program has its foundation in literature on the transfer student experience. This literature comes from national studies conducted by the leading researchers on these subjects as well as literature from a campus working group that surveyed the transfer population in 2005. Based on this information, we have formulated a program that we think provides just the right amount of information for our new transfer students.

We go over how to get involved on campus including using our STARS website (www.stars.umd.edu) and utilizing the many resources in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union- Center for Campus Life. We talk about off-campus housing options and services, safety on campus, how to register for classes, we provide you with a quick tour of some important hot spots and more importantly, help you connect with students within your major and college.

We believe that you orientation experience will be a great one and we are excited that you are coming to join the Maryland Family!!

What questions do you have about UMD Orientation?

Housing Concerns

A lot of transfer students struggle with where they are going to live once they make the transition to College Park. There are many options available for housing in the area, so it's really a preference. As a student affairs professional, I believe that everybody should have some kind of on-campus housing experience but, because of high demand, it is not always a viable option (though with a new hall being built on North Campus, it might be a reality soon enough). If you are thinking about living on-campus or want to learn more about living on-campus, visit the Resident Life website at www.resnet.umd.edu.
You can learn all about the housing policies and options and make sure to put yourself on the waitlist.

Popular off-campus options are The Towers, University View, both strictly student housing, boarding in a fraternity house, rooms in local homes and a variety of other independently operated apartment complexes. If you need a place to start, you can find all your off-campus housing information at the Off-Campus Housing Services website at www.och.umd.edu. This is an amazing resource where you can search a database of local housing, use the roommate finder to find a suitable match and get great advice on legal matters (i.e. leases), transportation and more!

What have been your experiences with housing? Where are the best places to live?