More than just a formality, orientation day is one of the key factors in freshmen’s success. The objectives are clear: organize activities to foster connections between new students and help them discover their future living and study environment. That’s why Student Councils mobilize every year to deliver a positive start to university or grande école life. If you’re part of one and want to create a successful event, here are 5 tips to guide you.
The first step is to set clear objectives and allocate your budget. Beyond the diverse student profiles, everyone shares the same need: to quickly find their place and bond with a group.
So, start by focusing on relationship-building and helping newcomers get familiar with important locations.
A successful orientation day should enable new students to:
Once objectives and budget are set, focus on planning the best group activities to ensure a memorable orientation.
You have two main options :
Digital group events—like app-based integration games—are very popular : they adapt to group size, are fast-paced, and allow autonomy.
Here are six activity ideas for your orientation event !
Once you know your goals and the type of activities, bring in a professional agency.
Organizing group dynamics and managing logistics requires expertise. At Teams Connect, we’ve been delivering cohesion events for both companies and students at the start of the academic year. Rely on a skilled team to make orientation day a truly unifying memory for freshmen.
We recommend a cohesion activity that includes discovering school premises and its surroundings.
One standout example is our “Grande Évasion” team-building game, designed for student orientation. It lets participants explore the university or grande école surroundings while creating strong bonds !
Check out the Grande Évasion at INSP (formerly ENA): https://www.letudiant.fr/etudes/concours-fonction-publique/les-eleves-de-l-insp-le-nouvel-ena-ont-fait-leur-rentree-a-strasbourg.html
It’s essential to communicate details and registration info through all available networks. But don’t stop there : post-event sharing adds real value.
Share highlights from the orientation on your institution’s website and faculty groups to help the new class embrace campus culture and build a sense of belonging throughout their studies.
Welcoming students in September—or even again in January—is a crucial step for their integration. Now you have some practical ideas to plan their arrival. Contact our team to discuss and refine your project for a successful orientation day !