More about New Student Week!
Hannah gives an overview of New Student Week from the perspective of a New Student Week Leader!
Hannah gives an overview of New Student Week from the perspective of a New Student Week Leader!
Hello everyone! It is so exciting to be back on the blogger grind. I am happy to be back at Carleton! This year I am a sophomore and I have had the opportunity to be a leader of a New Student Week (NSW) group on campus. NSW is Carleton’s freshmen orientation, and it goes on for about a week (that would make sense considering it is in the name).
What Do You Do?
New Student Week has an incredibly packed schedule, and while it is a bit tiring it helps prepare you for the jump into the first week of classes. There are a variety of events and meetings that you will attend as a new student. Not only do you meet the people in your residential hall, but you also meet with your academic advisor, hear from a lot of offices on campus, and learn about all that Carleton has to offer.
What is a NSW Group?
I was a leader of Group 25 with my co-leader Ethan. I wanted to be a NSW leader because I had a tough time adjusting to Carleton as a first-year and I wanted to do anything I could to help out new students with their transition. Group 25 was a fantastic group of about 13 freshmen, two leaders, and a handful of peer leaders (fellows for other various offices on campus), and over the course of the week, I had an awesome time getting to know everyone.
Your NSW Group is who you spend the majority of your time with during the week. You eat meals together, go to campus events together, and learn about what it is like to be a Carleton student. While you might not become best friends with the people in your group, it helps to have a friendly face on campus once things get started. I am still good friends with a couple of people from my group from when I was a freshman!
Training + Information Gathering
A good amount of time is spent listening to people talk about their experiences at Carleton, and what you can do to get involved. From volunteering to mental health resources, the amount of information given is definitely a lot! Luckily, if you forget, it is always available on the Carleton website, or you can ask people. We also have “Carltalks” which are presentations and discussions about how we can make Carleton a safe and inclusive experience for everyone.
New students are trained in basic CPR and AED processes, given an ITS information session, and so much more. NSW also included a “passport to campus” event where we walked around and found all the locations of offices such as TRIO, OIL, and SOA. This was actually super helpful because it wasn’t a part of my new student week, and I quickly learned that I didn’t know where the offices were myself (and I have already been here for a year!).
Pickup Frisbee!
While frisbee is not a required aspect of NSW, it certainly is a fun part! Anyone of any experience can come to play pickup ultimate frisbee even if you have never played before. I was definitely a newbie because I have only ever played intramural, but it was so fun to learn more about the game and meet new people.
Tree Planting
One activity that I think people will always remember is planting trees. The CCCE holds an event called “Into the Arb” where NSW Groups go and plant a total of 5 trees in our 800-acre Arboretum to return the previously tilled farmland back to its natural state. While it can get a bit messy, at the end of your four years (and even during reunions) you can come back and see the mark you left on Carleton and how much you and your tree have grown. My lovely group even chose to name two of the trees after me and my co-leader Ethan!
Having Fun
New Student Week is all about getting to know more about the school you will attend for the next four years. While you get a lot of information, that doesn’t mean you won’t have fun doing it! Sometime during the week, you compete in Nolympics — a residential hall competition in various silly games outside — meet new people, see a variety show of many talents put on by you and your classmates, and see just what it means to be a Carl.
I loved being a NSW leader this year because I got to guide new students as they navigated their way through their first week at Carleton. I can’t wait to do it again next year. Good luck class of 2026! You got this.
Hannah is a sophomore interested in Geology, Political Science and Classics. Still unsure what she will major in, she likes to spend her time learning as much as she can about whatever she can. Born and raised in Minnesota, she considers herself somewhat of an expert on MN winters. At Carleton, she fills her schedule with writing for the Admissions blog, working as a CCCE Communications Fellow, taking flute lessons, and increasing voter engagement on campus. When Hannah isn’t in class, she can be found tossing a frisbee, thrifting, running for fun, looking at rocks, reading, walking and skiing in the Arb, and hanging out with her besties. Meet the other bloggers!