Opinion: Orientation planners should revisit time uses

Stress is high at New Student Orientation: new faces, new places and a whole lot of new information.

The last thing incoming students need is to be sold things instead of learning valuable information about UNC. Companies like Wells Fargo are seamlessly integrated into orientation, with specific blocks of time set aside for their sales pitches.

Selling to students at orientation feels predatory. Overwhelmed by this new experience and often accompanied by parents who are just as overwhelmed, students may feel pressured to opt into programs or buy things that do not really make sense for them financially.

In addition, these public sales at orientation illustrate differences in wealth that may isolate students from one another at a time when they are trying to find their place amongst their peers at UNC.

Orientation should be an inclusive environment, and pitching goods and services that not all students can afford goes against the desired inclusivity.

On the other hand, orientation does serve as the perfect place to educate students and parents about the convenience of the Wells Fargo One Card or the technology and accessories available through the Student Stores.

It is valuable for students to know that these resources exist on campus. However, to know about these resources and to be sold them are different things.

Sessions selling goods and services to students under the pressure of orientation is unfair.

The goals of orientation are to give students a feel for the campus community, teach students about campus resource, help students make informed academic decisions and connect with the UNC community.

How do sales pitches help with this mission?

They don’t.

Students need more information about campus resources and help making their transition to UNC. For example, the sales pitches could be made optional, and an information session on UNC’s campus policy on sexual violence could be added, as many students felt that it was not really addressed at the orientation sessions.

Or students could spend more time in small discussion sessions, getting help with class registration in a setting where they are more engaged.

Students are given a lot of information and are in seminars for a majority of the two days, so orientation sessions should be mindful of this fact. A lot of orientation is spent sitting in large rooms listening to people speak on very trivial issues ­— like Carolina Dining Service’s long explanation of the different meal plans avaliable.

That information can easily be found on the internet, but the in-person conversation with an academic adviser is something that must be done in person. However, the planning of a student’s future classes is relegated to a few minutes spent with an adviser and a fellow new student.

Orientation can change with student feedback, and hopefully it changes for the better.

Instead of starting their first day at UNC armed with a shiny new Wells Fargo credit card, students should be armed with a wealth of knowledge about the University, ready to find their place at UNC.