Dawson Brushes off the Welcome Mat for Old and New Students Alike

Students show old and new cohorts Dawson campus after many months closed

November 23rd, 2021 by Isabella Ruvo

Welcome Week was divided into three components during the 9th to 16th of August: Zoom info sessions; pre-recorded videos by the academic administration and student services; in-person visits. Due to lower COVID-19 restrictions, old and new students were finally able to visit campus and participate in Dawson’s student life. During this time, students were invited to take a small tour given by second and third years. Welcome Week gave Dawson College a chance to finally have some life in its halls once again.

ONLINE

Program specific Zoom info sessions were given the 10th to 12th of August. This gave students a chance to learn more pertinent information about their programs. They wouldn’t have to start the semester going in cold turkey. For most, this was their first year, first semester, first everything, which can be very stressful. That’s why Dawson tried to share as many details as they could with the future student body.

“Getting to meet some people from my program really eased my transition into Cegep. I didn’t have any friends in my courses but I was able to make new ones easily!” -Anonymous.

Students also got to meet their program coordinator(s), which made the experience much more humane. It was comforting to know there was someone you could rely on for your education.

VISITORS

The highlight of Welcome Week was being able to have students visiting the college. After a year and a half of COVID-19 limiting the number of students on campus, it was nice to see some old and new faces inhabiting the school. Guided tours lasted about 10 to 15 minutes, where they were shown the important locations of the school such as the library, the cafeteria, the atrium, etc. Many newcomers were shocked at seeing the many escalators going up but none going back down. One of the many things to learn about how to get around campus.

“I think it was pretty fast, and we just went through the college a little too fast and I couldn’t really remember the places but it was really fun overall.” –Najlaa Achouhal.

VOLUNTEERS

Not only were there volunteers to give tours, but there were many other volunteers set up in Conrod’s, spreading information and goodies. Tables set up to promote the DSU, the hive and the plant were all present. Their aim was to share with new students what campus life looks like and encourage newcomers to join student-run initiatives. By following the clubs on Instagram, students would receive goodies such as DSU merch, reusable straws, bamboo utensils, etc.

“Even though I’ve been at Dawson for 2-3 years, this was my first volunteering experience and it was fun and very entertaining because people made it fun.”-- Anonymous

DSU volunteers felt the good vibes collaborating with one another even if for some, it was their first time volunteering.

“20 on 10! People that came up to me were so nice so quickly. I didn’t feel out of place and they would hold my hand helping me with tasks.”

-Fay.

Summary for newsletter: From the 9th to the 16th of August, Dawson welcome its old and new students in a hybrid format. The start of semesters are always tricky but Fall 2021 was even more so because students had hardly stepped foot on Dawson grounds in months. Thankfully, DSU had a team of volunteers that set up tables to welcome them and tours to show them around. Click here to read more about it.