From tourist to treasure hunter: a self-guided orientation programme for first-year students

Abstract

Students arriving for the first time at university can be overwhelmed: numerous people, diverse buildings, the campus to navigate, lots to do and general information overload. A number of strategies are developed to assist students upon arrival, but the focus is on meeting immediate needs of administration, accommodation and socializing. Preliminary lectures are held and the academic year is underway. The first written tasks are set and the student discovers that an adequate result is obtained by simply ‘going online’, perhaps using ‘Google Scholar’. A visit to the large and somewhat intimidating space of a university library can be avoided; in effect, may never need to be visited. Such students will miss a significant aspect of a university education. Most higher education institutions are aware of the problem and have proactive library staff members who provide support for students, as individuals or as a component of their programme.