Orientation Week, or O-Week, is Rice’s special way of welcoming New Students. This entire week is dedicated to getting to know your peers, engaging in thorough and holistic academic planning, exploring Houston and its surroundings, and much, much more! Before arriving to Rice, all New Students are randomly assigned to one of the eleven residential colleges. Each
college has its own student O-Week Coordinators who spend the summer planning O-Week in order to create a welcoming and supportive orientation program. You will be placed in a group with about 8-9 fellow New Students and will be guided by a team of 4 Advisors, all of whom are current Rice students exclusively here to offer you advice and experience from both an academic and social standpoint. O-Week groups are meant to be a source of initial support, and you will be interacting and spending time with them during the many activities planned throughout the week. However, there will certainly be opportunities to meet everyone outside of your O-Week group!

 

No matter how ridiculously excited, cautiously optimistic, secretly apprehensive, or just downright  ecstatic you are about coming to Rice, the transition to a college lifestyle might seem a little overwhelming. However, there is no need to worry because the purpose of O-Week is to serve as an introduction to a new world of academics, residential colleges, Rice culture, and McMurtry culture. The social ties you build both within McMurtry and at Rice will shape your college experience just as much as your classes will, and O-Week will help jump-start those formations in a fun, meaningful, and memorable way.

Essentially, this week is for you to learn about and explore the place you’ll call home for the next few years, so kick back and relax! There will be new opportunities, new connections, and as much exploration as you want, but there’s no need to be overwhelmed. While everyone’s transition looks a little bit different, O-Week is something that you will share with your entire
matriculating class, so have an open mind and get ready to have some fun!!!