Orientation During a Pandemic?
We made it work!
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Chloe Lefebvre
Contributor
These times are extremely difficult for everyone, and it has been quite the adjustment period getting settled into an entirely new routine for online learning. For new students at John Abbott College, it’s a whole new world. With COVID-19 taking over our lives and a new school to get accustomed to, the way in which we are being introduced to CÉGEP life has changed completely. Orientation is a rite of passage for new students. It’s where you get introduced not only to the school, but to your program of choice and the people you will be surrounded by every day for the next couple of years.
With mandated mask-wearing and social-distancing, meeting people can be quite a struggle. John Abbott made it work and accommodations were made so that new students could get their orientation day. We were able to meet other people in our programs through games and were grouped into small bunches of people when being given an introductory presentation to college life. Tours were distanced from other groups, and we were made aware of all the new precautions and rules of the college to keep both staff and students safe when spending time on campus.
Adjustments of any kind are difficult, but if we all cooperate and work with each other in an effort to keep both ourselves and the people around us safe and healthy, things will be back to normal before we know it.
Stay safe, wear your masks, and have a wonderful semester!
Originally Published on www.bandersnatch.ca Vol.50 Issue 01 on September 9th, 2020