The Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR) program is currently running at Queen's University. SOAR is an orientation program offering students the opportunity to connect with their professors, make friends, and discover the services available on campus.
“A big focus of our undergraduate summer programming is to ease any anxieties they may have and make sure they have all the information they need to be successful in their first year,” Student Life Director Meg Ferriman says.
Some of the services include financial aid, accessibility, faith and spiritual life, the human rights and equity office.
“We’re planning for full in-person activities this fall, and certainly planning for the fact that those coming for their first year have had a really strange past couple of years so we’re trying to make sure they feel really well supported this year in particular,” Ferriman says.
Associate Chaplain Adam Bloemendal says there are a number of programs that the Faith and Spiritual Life Office offers.
“We provide opportunities for people to do button making, magnets and painting rocks, ways to get people out of their heads and focus on taking deep breaths and finding peace. We’re an office trying to help students feel heard, seen and loved. We are a population and a society that’s focused on technology and we do the personal, we like to hit the heart with people.”
Henry Xiu is coming from Richmond Hill to start his first year of computing at Queen's.
“I felt coming in there’s a lot of stress, a lot of challenges to somehow deal with, but when I saw there’s so many opportunities here and so many resources, I feel a heavy burden has been lifted off my shoulders…If anything comes my way, Queen's has the resources to help me overcome it," says Xiu.
Students entering Health Sciences, the Smith School of Business, Engineering and Applied Science will have their orientation this Friday and Saturday. Students going in to the faculty of arts and science, as well as students heading to Bader College in England had their orientation last week.
Listen to full CFRC interviews with Meg Ferriman, Adam Bloemendal and Henry Xiu below: