Orientation Workshop helps new students succeed
You wouldn’t run a marathon without training. It takes preparation, dedication and commitment to complete the full 26.2 miles. Similarly, setting the foundation to earn a degree takes all that and more — it takes a college orientation. In response to a need for better-prepared students, University of Phoenix launched the University Orientation Workshop.
The workshop, which runs for three weeks either online or at a local campus, is a requirement for all undergraduate students entering the University with fewer than 24 credits. The three one-week sessions teach you how to navigate the online learning system, how to set goals and what resources are available to you. In addition, the University offers the workshop at no charge, since being financially responsible is just as important as academic preparation.
“The Orientation Workshop helps [students] to not feel so overwhelmed once they begin earning their degrees,” says Jerrad Tausz, chief student and campus operating officer. He adds that, historically, new students may have quickly dropped out simply because they saw how challenging college is and felt unprepared.
“Students can see what [college] is really like prior to accruing debt,” he says. “They can then determine if a college education at University of Phoenix is something that is really for them at this time.
“We want our students to succeed and understand that a college degree takes determination, commitment and resolve. Students sometimes don’t understand the level of expectation that is put upon them. This workshop shows them before they enroll,” Tausz explains.
“Just as traditional colleges have a ‘new student week’ where new students go on tours and get the feeling of what attending classes will be like,” Tausz says, “Orientation Workshop does the same thing.”
