Welcome to our new students!
This year’s orientation week was special and focused on building a sense of community from the get go!
Monday was check-in day for those who had opted in for university-sponsored housing with API. Students and parents flooded in from across the globe to settle in and we were able to hand over keys, give out welcome packs and Navigo passes and share our tips on the best local boulangeries and cafes.
Tuesday kicked off with undergraduate check-in at our St. Roch Campus. Greeted by student workers and the Student Success Team, students were guided to their assigned room for a morning session focused on safety & security, how to use the tech facilities and academic school policies. This was followed by an orientation lunch held at a nearby restaurant. After lunch, students returned to campus for an interactive intercultural session. We were delighted to be able to welcome parents for their very own orientation in the late afternoon. There were so many sign ups that we hosted two simultaneous sessions!
Wednesday was a continuation of academic preparation for undergraduate students led by faculty at the St. Roch campus. Meanwhile, graduate students checked in and attended their own orientation sessions. In the afternoon, we all took a leisurely walk to the Balle au Bond on the Seine for an afternoon welcome party on a boat! We were lucky enough to have this wonderful event organized by Karen Decter – Parsons Paris’ Administrative Services and Events Manager. Students had the opportunity to relax, get to know one another better and play some afternoon bingo hosted by Karen herself along with our current students. After winning some spot prizes and indulging in some delicious, Parisian desserts the students headed off into the city to enjoy Paris.
Thursday sessions were specifically focused on the practicalities of working and interning whilst studying. From the logistics of health insurance and immigration through to meeting the Career Development and Internships team, the students got the whole morning to get their head around the steps needed in order to work and intern in Paris. We also had an open walk-in session on community and resources for students to be able to meet representatives including recommended banks, the police, the Student Council, the Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Council and others. Our student workers organized a tour of the areas at St. Roch and at Romainville to give new students a peer to peer perspective of the neighborhoods surrounding these two campuses.
The Parsons Paris Student Council took the lead with their very own open Q&A session on Friday morning – this gave new students a chance to ask questions of their peers. The afternoon was spent in the glorious gardens of Versailles. A private bus took everyone across Paris (passing some of Paris’ most famous landmarks) to this historical palace, the perfect way to finish the week!
