Congratulations. You’ve been accepted to University Canada West and here’s what you need to know about your first day at UCW.
Orientation for the Summer Semester is taking place over two days on Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29. The two-day orientation and academic testing is a required, first course for all degree students at the UCW.
In addition to being mandatory, it’s important for new students to attend these sessions, as they are packed full of information so students can feel comfortable and succeed.
Orientation at University Canada West is called SOAR 098, which is a term and course number you might have already come across. It stands for Student Orientation and Academic Readiness (SOAR).
The first day includes several information sessions. There will be tours of the campus, library and surrounding downtown area. There will be discussions about living in Vancouver, local banking and required medical insurance, as well as information about the various University departments including the Library, Registrar’s Office, Finance, Academics and Student Services. Students can ask questions and will get to know some of the staff and faculty as they start this leg of their academic journey.
Lunch will be provided.
The first day is also a good chance to meet other students, many of whom have travelled far to attend UCW. About 85% of the student body is made up of international students, so it’s a great chance to start to get to know people who are in a similar situation as a new student in a new city.
The second day of orientation includes academic assessment testing. All students must write a 500-word argumentative essay on one of five topics in an hour or less. Students unable to write to the required academic standards will be referred to free workshops to bring their writing up to speed.
After the test, the students will attend an hour-long library workshop. The purpose of this session is to familiarize students with the resources and services available both on campus and online in the UCW Library.
Students directly entering the MBA program are also required to write a statistics exam. In this case, students failing to meet the academic standard will be required to take a remedial statistics course before proceeding with their MBA.
The first day of classes is July 4. With four terms per year and compact term lengths, it’s vitally important that students are in class and are ready to start learning on Day 1. Students arriving after the first day of class often have a difficult time catching up.
University Canada West is located in the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia. The university offers both online and on-campus Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication and MBA programs. The business-oriented university provides students with the experience to succeed in their careers and scholarships to recognize students’ academic excellence.
