Training and Student Arrival - Jennifer Liriano

After a week and a half of training and team bonding, the AOP Summer Staff felt a mix of excitement and nervousness in preparation for the incoming pre-freshmen on the evening of July 4^th, the night before they arrived. As the students trickled in one by one, we began to realize how utterly real this experience was becoming and we started to feel less nervous and more ecstatic. The day was long but once we had all of the students in one room and split up into mentor/mentee groups, preparing them for orientation we knew that our job had officially begun. The very first night after our first meeting, a number of students and student staff joined together in the lounge to play an exciting game of Mafia where the students were able to bond with the staff and everyone was able to get a little more comfortable. 

It was a little disorienting going from having no students to having our students plus all of the other students attending orientation but it was a fun way to get to know and bond with as many incoming freshmen as possible. The peer mentors paired up with the Orientation Advisors (OA’s) and we got to enjoy the best of both worlds. We all bonded most during the end of the first day at the first Geneseo Late Knight event (GLK) over karaoke, billiards and snacks. After two long days, our exhausted students returned to Steuben to prepare for the first day of classes.

At 7:30 we all had breakfast and everyone seemed to be a little nervous about the first day of classes. The students had heard so much about the difficulty of the INTD course and how challenging it would be, leaving them curious and slightly intimidated. The tutors, such as myself were also nervous, hoping that we would be as helpful as possible but prepared to do the best that we could to provide aid for the students and keep them from getting overwhelmed.

Overall, the first week is almost over and everyone is accustoming to a new routine. The tutors and other student staff are getting used to being on the other side of the program and we are all excited to create a new experience, and the students are getting ready for a life changing experience that we hope we can all provide!