Thomas College extends orientation to ease transition for incoming freshmen

WATERVILLE, Maine (WABI) - The transition to college life is officially underway in Waterville as hundreds of new students arrive on campus at Thomas College.

Move-in day brought car doors slamming, storage bins stacking, and a high-energy bustle as incoming first-years checked in for orientation and began settling into their dorms.

“I realized I get a little bit blue in the summer when the students aren’t here,” Thomas College President Dr. Jeannine Uzzi said. “So this is one of the best days of the year when our students come back, we get to welcome them.”

A brand-new approach to welcoming students

This year’s welcome is looking a little different. Thomas College has extended its traditional orientation program to four and a half days—a strategic move designed to help students transition into college life slowly and with more confidence.

“We have a new program in place to get them started on a little bit of their academic work, so they gain some confidence with academics,” Uzzi said. “Cohort-building activities so they can find their people... we just wanted to spread this out, take more time.”

Leading the charge are orientation leaders like senior Zander Ysewyn and sophomore Nick Maney. They are tasked with helping freshmen break out of their shells and ease first-day jitters.

“Today, families are coming in all across everywhere, from different parts of Maine to different states, from Texas to Florida, to Wyoming maybe,” Maney said. “From international countries, too. We basically are meeting new friends today.”

“I get to dance like a fool, make parents laugh, make students feel welcome, and then just overall playing the games with them during this weekend and getting to know them,” Ysewyn added.

Freshman athletes and early arrivals

Among the incoming class are student-athletes Riley Smith, Batool Albrehi, and Rachel Richardson. They got a three-week head start on campus for soccer practice, but were still excited to experience the official orientation.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all the new people that are coming, opposed to like all the people I’ve already met,” Richardson said.

Advice for the incoming class

As these new students navigate this major life milestone, those who have walked the path before them—and some who just finished moving in—offered some simple advice to make the transition a little easier.

“I would definitely suggest investing in like the big gallon moving bags,” Albrehi suggested. “It makes everything so much easier to carry upstairs if you don’t have an elevator.”

“The biggest piece of advice I could give is get out of your dorm, go meet some people,” Maney said. “The connections you’re going to meet in college are fantastic.”

Uzzi also emphasized that college is an opportunity for a fresh start.

“You can be your next best self in college,” Uzzi said. “If you didn’t feel comfortable talking to strangers, now you can be. And I think that asking questions part is the most important.”

Classes begin for all students on Tuesday.