| The College of Arts & Sciences

Hello! I am Meghan Harte, executive director for Student Success, and I am incredibly excited to get to know you this fall.  I want to take a minute to answer some GREAT questions that the Class of 2015 have sent me.

I also want to provide two very important pages here for you to look at: Rollins Explorations or First-Year Programs, is a program that I oversee as part of Student Success. Explorations offers a variety of programs and resources to fully engage first-year students in their lifelong educational journeys while assisting them in making a successful transition to campus. This site will give you all kinds of information about Orientation, RCCs, Summer Reading, etc.

The second site I want to share is the Rollins Cares site. This site is a place for you to get help, ask questions, etc. I know you will be working with your Admissions counselor as you make your decision, but Rollins is truly committed to providing great service and coaching from Orientation till Graduation! We want you to know that when you decide to come to Rollins we will do everything we can to help you be successful! We are confident that Rollins provides quality educational experiences, enhanced student-centered programs, and graduates who are better prepared for success in the 21st century.

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail or call me anytime at (407) 646-2599.

Here are some of the great questions your peers have sent me. I think they might be helpful to you too!

 

I am considering two different majors. What would my first year schedule look like for either of these majors?

Well, I can’t tell you exactly what your schedule would look like, but I can tell you how we create it, which I think will help you feel more at ease about getting a meaningful schedule. Once you deposit at Rollins you will be given a Foxlink account and a to-do list. The to-do list will include a Course Preference form. You will indicate your major of interest and a number of other academic things including RCC choices.

In June a team of faculty will meet to review your CP form and your file, and they will use all the information you provide to build a course schedule for you that takes into account your major areas of interest as well as the general education curriculum. You will then have the chance to meet with your Faculty Advisor the Friday of Fall Orientation to review your schedule, make any changes, and discuss your educational goals and plans.

I find that students are often hesitant about this process because at other (often bigger) schools their friends are jumping right online and doing the scheduling themselves. At Rollins we truly believe in your being advised and coached by a team of great faculty and staff. That is why your course schedule is selected based on your academic history, strengths, and goals. It is a system built to help you maximize your academic success.

How do the students balance their class work with student-run activities on campus or intramural sports?

Your first question about student involvement is a really important one. Many students are very worried that they will not be able to balance their academic work with their campus activities (student orgs, greeklife, intramural, etc). It is a good concern especially if you want to be academically successful.  There are really two things to remember about this. The first is that getting involved is key! Students who get involved from day one with student orgs, SGA, their Peer Mentors, sports, etc. Do far better academically. They usually have better grades, more campus connections, and are generally much happier on campus. So my number one piece of advice is, JUMP RIGHT IN! One of my mantras on campus is “College is better with friends!” because it is, and the getting involved is the BEST way to make friends and meet people. The second thing to remember is that you are going to have way more free time in college than you did in high school. You are in class less often, but are expected to do more studying on your own. That will give you more time to balance social and experiential learning.

My final bit of wisdom on balance to incoming students is get a planner not an iphone or blackberry calendar, a real paper planner! Learning to manage your time, activities, course-work, and studying is critical to be successful in college, and most of us didn’t need to be that great at it in high school.  In high school your day is managed for you. Time management and planning is often what makes or break students. Bring a planner, use it, and then jump right into all the activities that interest you! You will be a success for sure!

What is it like to participate in freshman orientation?

Another great question! Rollins has two types of orientation: Summer and Fall. Fall is required, and Summer is optional, but I highly highly, highly recommend it.

I will start with Summer Orientation (and I have hyperlinked them here so you can check out the webpage) is over the summer. It is a chance for you to come to campus for two days (parents are welcome too.) You will have the opportunity to meet other incoming students, spend a night in the residence halls, get to know your way around campus, start exploring Rollins' Liberal Arts Curriculum, become familiar with campus life, and meet some of the best and brightest student leaders on campus. Summer Orientation is tons of fun. A great way to meet people, and just begin to feel more comfortable at Rollins before you arrive in the fall. Students who come to Summer O always say that it helps alleviate their anxieties about coming to college, and they always leave excited for school to start! The even better part is that it will mean you have friends on campus before you even arrive in the fall!

Fall Orientation kicks off the Thursday before classes, which is August 18 this year. It involves a weekend of activities to help you transition to campus. You will move into your residence hall, meet your RA, participate in campus traditions such as Convocation and Candlewish, meet your Peer Mentors and your RCC faculty, participate in SPARC day, and more. It is really an opportunity for you to begin your life here at Rollins for the next four year. It is also a chance for us to really welcome to you!

Both Orientations are designed to be fun and helpful. They are almost 100% student created and run. So that means students have identified what was important to them, and what the new student experience should be like.