As first-time freshmen flock to campus, their required participation in the ETSU tradition of Preview means this year could be one for the record books.
The five-day orientation event, intended to serve as an introduction to campus life and resources, is crucial to ensuring that new students will thrive academically, emotionally and socially, in their new environment.
“I’m sure there’s so many different emotions that [new] students feel,” said Timothy Lewis, director of New Student and Family Programs. “There’s a mix of excitement, of nervousness, of stress, of unknown… I think [Preview] just helps students feel at ease as they start.”
Lewis connects Preview with an enhanced academic performance in students because of the way the event helps to alleviate traditional first-day nerves, as well as the way it increases awareness of campus resources.
“We know when students feel that ease… they’re going to do better in their classes,” Lewis said. “I think it’s really critical to [not just] a student’s first-year experience but [to also] ensure that the first-year experience here empowers them to take advantage of all that we have to offer.”
Lewis shared that for 40 years, attending Preview was optional, and students could not do so without being charged a fee. Within the last couple of years, however, the university has made changes to both of these elements–meaning Preview is now a free, attendance-mandatory event.
Lewis said that these changes came after university officials realized how impactful the Preview experience is throughout the entirety of a student’s ETSU experience. Hoping to increase access to benefits for all students and remove the barrier of cost, Preview began to take a different form–one that sought to create a universal experience for all first-time freshmen entering campus.
This year, Preview has continued to adapt, as university officials have added an additional half-day to the schedule of events. This half-day allows parents of students to participate in Preview, through events and programs created specifically for them.
The evolution of Preview is why Lewis anticipates it to be the largest it has ever been this year, although a trend of larger incoming freshmen class sizes is not to be discounted yet.
Lewis shared that, while ETSU has yet to determine the exact size of this year’s incoming class, they have seen exciting growth in new students. He credits the efforts of many university departments for the increase in enrollment, however he believes the most notable cause of this growth is the promotion of the campus done so by the student body.
“I think, ultimately it’s our students who tell our story, and our students are having such positive experiences here,” Lewis said.
ETSU’s focus on positive student experiences comes full circle Wednesday, Aug. 23 through Saturday, Aug. 26 with the university’s 42nd annual Preview.
The event is able to showcase what makes ETSU special, with unique perspectives from faculty, staff and most memorable, the student leaders.
“I like that the new students and the leaders are able to make such strong connections–especially having not known each other at all beforehand,” said POLO leader J.T. Roberts. “I think that really helps them be very authentic with each other.”
POLO leader Emma Turner adds that attending Preview has benefits for students outside of getting acclimated to campus life.
“My favorite thing about Preview is the community outreach that we do,” Turner said. “It helps people not only get involved with ETSU as a campus but also get involved with life around Johnson City, as well.”
For more information about Preview and any other new-student programming, visit the department of new student and family programs online at: www.etsu.edu/students/nsfp/
