Good experience overall, but room for improvement
As 1Ls start settling into their doctrinal classes, Ultra Vires asked a few to reflect on their orientation experiences. For those not in the know, Emily Hean, Sophie Fu, and I were the Orientation Week (O-Week) coordinators this year. We delivered seven events: bingo night, movie night, a scavenger hunt, a trip to Canada’s Wonderland, an ice cream social, a virtual escape room, and a social mixer at an art gallery in Yorkville. The O-week team also provided t-shirts and daily snacks for the 1Ls. From my perspective, the two weeks were delightful, and the incoming 1Ls were exceptionally friendly and polite. Many 1Ls shared their thoughts and opinions on what worked and how we can improve the orientation experience next year for the new incoming 1L students. We summarized some common themes and provided our explanations on a few matters.
More Social Events!
Quite a few 1Ls I spoke to suggested that there be more social events for directed interaction between 1Ls. Specifically, some 1Ls noted that the bingo and movie night did not provide many opportunities for student interaction. As orientation coordinators, we really hoped to give students a chance to interact as much as possible, but it was challenging for a few reasons.
First, there were limitations on the dates of certain events since Legal Methods runs at the same time as orientation. In fact, we were explicitly warned that orientation “cannot interfere with any learning” that takes place during those first two weeks. Movie night and bingo night are low-intensity, inclusive events as they appeal to the more reserved students who might need a brief social reprieve. Additionally, it was difficult for us to host a pub night for two reasons: (1) it excludes those who refrain from drinking, and (2) it could potentially interfere more with schoolwork. This is probably the crux of most orientation related issues, whether justified or not, the social events seemingly take a back seat to Legal Methods. I will say that at least one 1L did express gratitude for Legal Methods as a soft landing to life at the law school.
Another challenge was finding outside venues for events. We did consider many places and additional events, but because of the pandemic subsiding to a certain degree, there was an extremely high demand for venues that unfortunately put a lot of them out of budget. Budgetary concerns were undoubtedly a relevant consideration throughout orientation.
Conversely, the 1Ls expressed content with our trip to Canada’s Wonderland. Many also expressed gratitude for the upper-year volunteers’ willingness to answer questions and give advice. A common suggestion for improvement was to include the Dean’s BBQ as part of orientation. Also, a special shout-out to the 1L who hosted a party and invited the entire 1L class!
Administrative Issues
Multiple 1Ls expressed frustration with administrative matters during orientation. Many seemed genuinely frustrated by the Quercus system, ACORN, and library services (e.g. Where to print? How to print?). 1Ls also noted that the building tour could have been more thorough and should have included more of the U of T campus beyond the Jackman Law building. Some also expressed feeling stressed as a result of handling logistical issues related to moving to Toronto in time for Legal Methods.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right balance between focusing on getting acclimated to school and socializing—when it comes to orientation—is always a challenge. I am hopeful the 1Ls feel comfortable reaching out to upper years for advice and guidance. I wish I could take credit for that, but it was really due to the efforts of our volunteers and the overall friendliness of the Class of 2025. I am optimistic that whichever 1Ls become coordinators next year will deliver on an orientation better than any seen thus far!
