Chicago Semester

Getting Oriented To Orientation

Posted by Phil DeBoer in Around Town in Orientation in Special Tracks in Staff Advice in Student Activities | Jun 13, 2011

So, after months of waiting in nervous excitement, the day finally comes when you make that fateful trek to Chicago and anxiously arrive at the doorstep of the Hotel Allegro, accompanied only by your suitcase of clothes and a fluttering heart full of anticipation. Now what?

We get asked this question a lot by students wondering what to expect when they arrive in Chicago, and while many of the details aren’t determined until shortly before the semester begins, we thought it might be helpful to give a brief synopsis of what our Orientation program is like.

During the first week and a half of each semester students participating in Chicago Semester go through an intensive and extensive period of preparation and acclimation to both the city of Chicago and our program before they officially begin their adventure here. This week and a half is known as Orientation and is an essential element of the Chicago Semester experience. Many students have never been to a big city, lived independently, gone through a job interview, or used public transportation before. Therefore, it’s important that we spend some time getting accustomed to these things before the semester officially begins – and it all starts at a certain hotel in downtown.

Nestled between Wells and LaSalle, on Randolph St., Hotel Allegro serves as our home base and primary location of our Orientation program. After checking in, students and staff gather in the main conference room and spend some time making introductions, getting acquainted with one another, and going over what to expect in the week ahead. Later, we split into groups and grab dinner at different restaurants in Chicago. This gives the students a chance to experience the public transportation system and start talking about who they would like to live with. After dinner, everyone gets together again at the hotel and staff members present smart tips for safe city living, review the different housing options, and reveal where each student will be interviewing for their internships. The rest of the night is free for questions, research, and socializing.

On Tuesday morning, students have their picture taken and are distributed their U-Pass. The rest of the morning is full of presentations on how to interview successfully, how the housing selection process works, and how to navigate the city and its public transportation. After lunch, students gather for the Housing Lottery, where names are drawn from a hat and each student selects his or her roommate(s) as well as the time slot when they will view the apartment they want to live in and sign its lease. The rest of the afternoon and evening is free for questions, research, practice interviews, direction help, and socializing. The highlight of the evening is the “Chicago Semester Taste of Chicago” where students are split into groups and must use their new navigational skills to bring their staff leader to an ethnic restaurant using only their maps and the address assigned to them. When the students successfully reach their destinations, the staff member treats them to nice dinner.

The rest of the week is mainly reserved for internship interviews. Students and staff have dinner together on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday night the students are treated to some entertainment – usually improvised comedy at Improv Olympic. Monday and Tuesday of the following week is spent at the Chicago Semester offices, where students will meet their Practicum Group Leaders and Instructors and learn about their classes and office etiquette.

Orientation is a bit different for our Special Track students (Student Teaching, Social Work, and Nursing), since they already know where they will be working and don’t need to interview that week. They will still stay at the hotel with the other Chicago Semester participants, but the Special Track Coordinators will guide them through a slightly adjusted schedule.

While Orientation may seem daunting, and is certainly exhausting, our students find it incredibly empowering. Everyone arrives feeling a bit anxious about how everything will turn out, but, without fail, by the end of Orientation every single student has a roommate, an apartment, an internship, and the knowledge and skills to navigate life independently in the city. Our program is proven to work, so those who trust the process and keep a positive perspective will inevitably experience a successful semester in Chicago.