The Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources program connected incoming first-year students to resources across campus.
![[The start of the SOAR day.]](https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/sites/default/files/assets/slideshow/2018-07/1.png "Incoming first-year students and their guests meet staff, instructors and each other at the start of the SOAR day.")
Incoming first-year students and their guests meet staff, instructors and each other at the start of the SOAR day.![[First-year students get to know each other at SOAR]](https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/ "First-year students get to know each other at SOAR.")
First-year students get to know each other at SOAR.- SOAR attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and meet student services staff, including peer representatives from the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre, at the program’s resource fair.
- The SOAR program includes a campus resource fair that included student services and the undergraduate student government, the Alma Mater Society.
- First-year students throw their ‘snowball’ containing a question to SOAR peer ambassadors as part of the program’s student-only session.
![[First-year students get to know each other at SOAR]](https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/sites/default/files/assets/slideshow/2018-07/2.png "First-year students get to know each other at SOAR.")
![[SOAR attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and meet student services staff, including peer representatives from the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre, at the program’s resource fair.]](https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/sites/default/files/assets/slideshow/2018-07/3.png "SOAR attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and meet student services staff, including peer representatives from the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre, at the program’s resource fair.")
![[The SOAR program includes a campus resource fair that included student services and the undergraduate student government, the Alma Mater Society.]](https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/sites/default/files/assets/slideshow/2018-07/4.png "The SOAR program includes a campus resource fair that included student services and the undergraduate student government, the Alma Mater Society.")
![[First-year students throw their ‘snowball’ containing a question to SOAR peer ambassadors as part of the program’s student-only session.]](https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/sites/default/files/assets/slideshow/2018-07/5.png "First-year students throw their ‘snowball’ containing a question to SOAR peer ambassadors as part of the program’s student-only session.")
Two thousand incoming first-year students and family members are well prepared for the transition to Queen’s after attending the university’s Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources program this month.
The series of day-long campus events held July 6 to 14 provided incoming students and family members with the opportunity to learn more about academic expectations, learning strategies, resources, the campus, and common student transition issues.
Participants listened to presentations from faculty, staff, and upper year students, learned about services and resources, toured residences, tried out the food, and had the chance to speak one-on-one with advisors from across campus.
"We heard from students and families that they felt relieved after getting help with course selection and talking to the chefs about meal plans and special diets or allergies, or to counsellors and doctors about support available on campus,” says Woo Kim, Manager, Student Experience Office. "Hearing from professors, academic advisors, and other great campus resources helped them see that there are so many supports for students on campus and even if they’ll be living away from home, they wouldn’t be alone. Students got to connect with peers in some of our student-specific sessions and some even made new friends!"
For students who couldn’t make it to SOAR, there are webinars on a range of topics being held all summer long, and a monthly online checklist of Next Steps.
For families in British Columbia and Calgary, Get Ready for Queen’s! events are being held in mid August.
Move-In Day is Saturday, September 1.
Faculty Orientation activities start September 2, and classes begin Thursday, September 5.