Carls go crazy for matcha Kit-Kats. Sitting down in Sayles for our first peer-advising hour, we worried that no one would come to our table. It turns out they come for the international candy, but stay to peruse next year’s programs or ask questions about financial aid abroad. Many students approach our table each week in pursuit of a sweet treat and peer guidance.
We began our job as OCS Fellows in September, unsure of what was in store but motivated by the prospect of helping other students through the exciting and, at times, overwhelming process of studying off-campus. We hope to demystify the process from start to finish, from choosing a program and applying to reflecting on the experience and readjusting to life back at Carleton.
In addition to peer-advising, our other main role is workshop and event planning. Thus far, we have co-hosted an OIIL talk on cross-cultural experiences and transitions, and an OCS and Career Center workshop. In the Spring, we will be focused on the OCS pre-departure series—events aimed at helping students prepare for their time abroad.
This year, we have found unique ways to engage students and used our own experiences to be personable peer-advisors. We look forward to improving the peer-advising process and discovering more unique ways we can contribute to the OCS Office!
Mabel Frank ‘19 and Erik Lagerquist ‘19