University offers Fast Pass to success
Orillia, ON – July 17, 2014
Like most teenage boys, Eric Hill does not always do what his parents think is best. When they encouraged him to visit Lakehead University’s Orillia campus, where he would be studying in the fall, he was reluctant to make the trip.
The purpose of the trip was to attend the University’s Fast Pass program, which Eric – though nervous about starting university – didn’t feel would be useful. His mother Barb believed it would be beneficial for Eric to visit Orillia to get a sense of the campus and meet some new people.
Eric eventually agreed, and made the trip to Orillia with his mom. A graduate of Northern Secondary School in Toronto, Eric is enrolled in Lakehead’s Honours Bachelor of Arts & Science/Bachelor of Education program.
After spending a couple of hours at the campus, the pair emerged feeling like a weight had been lifted from their shoulders – turns out that mom was right.
“I would 100% recommend the Fast Pass experience to incoming students,” said Eric. “New students would be crazy not to do this!”
Fast Pass is an opportunity offered by Lakehead University during the months of June and July to incoming students and their parents and friends. In addition to touring the campus, attending information sessions presented by current students, staff and faculty, new students benefit from one-on-one guidance to complete course registration.
“As a first-year student, understanding program requirements and registering for courses can be a confusing and stressful experience, and we aim to reduce this through our Fast Pass program,” said Simon Looker, one of the Student Affairs advisors responsible for organizing the program.
Barb agreed that the registration system was somewhat daunting. She had quickly glanced at the course registration website at home and realized that it may not be the easiest process. This realization was the main reason for the visit to Lakehead and she was very satisfied with the experience.
“Kudos to everyone who put it together,” she said. “I applaud them, especially the student volunteers, who were just the best.”
Barb was impressed, not only with the registration assistance, but with the campus itself. Finally seeing where her son would be spending the next four to five years of his life was enjoyable, and she felt secure knowing that the campus is new, safe and environmentally friendly.
Eric had a similar experience. When asked, he said his most valuable takeaways from the day were having the help to pick courses, and learning about what Lakehead had to offer. He also realized that he would be more than just another student number at Lakehead. “It was great to see the strong sense of community at the campus,” he said.
The once nervous Eric is now counting down the days until September and cannot wait to meet new people and get involved in campus activities. He could not be happier with his decision to attend Lakehead and looks forward to proudly joining the Thunderwolves Pack at Orientation activities in the fall.
The Fast Pass program continues at the Orillia campus on Fridays, July 18 and 25. The program is open to incoming students at both the Orillia and Thunder Bay campuses. For details, visit mylakehead.ca.
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New Lakehead student, Eric Hill of Toronto, registers for courses with the help of Student Advisor Jackie Bean, as his mother looks on.
Current students explain the typical day in the life of a Lakehead student to new students and their families at Fast Pass, the University’s summer orientation program.