First-Year Students
New Student Weekend
Our successful New Student Weekend (NSW) program is evolving to provide an on campus experience for all first-year students.
This U of M tradition has taken many different forms over the course of the past 80 years. Some may know it as Freshman Week, Freshman Camp, or as New Student Weekend, which has been the name for approximately the past 20-25 years. Recent years have demonstrated that students who attended New Student Weekend had higher retention and graduation rates than those who did not participate. While there are variables in analyzing the data, the research supports that assisting students through their transition to college allows them to be more successful.
Beginning with the Fall 2008, New Student Weekend will evolve into an on campus experience for all first-year students with Welcome Week. Many students have been requesting that they spend some on campus prior to classes starting to learn their way around and to meet other students. While Welcome Week will look different than New Student Weekend, it is our hope to keep some activities and the leadership structure in place.
We hope that you will continue your support for programs that assist students through their transition to college and join us for Welcome Week 2008. To look for more information on this program, please visit welcomeweek.umn.edu.