NSGW Families July Edition 2022

Fall 2022 Families

July 6, 2022

 

Graphic: Next Stop GW! with a raise high luggage tag

 

 

Hello again, GW families!

Can you believe it is already July?! We hope you have been taking time to enjoy the summer and the quality time with your student(s) and family. All of us at GW are eagerly preparing for your student's arrival to campus.

We also realize that you may have questions about GW. Since May, we have hosted several virtual sessions called Tuesday Talks. At each session we invite one of our campus partners to join us to cover various topics. Our July sessions are:

To participate in one of our Tuesday Talk sessions, please register in advance to receive the link to the webinar.

We realize that this is a time of transition not just for our students, but for many of you as well and we hope you take time this summer and embrace a few 'firsts' and 'lasts' with your student.

Below, after our signature, we have included a copy of the email we sent to our incoming students to help them prepare for the upcoming year. We are sharing the email with you as a way to encourage you to have conversations with your student.

Raise High!
Charlotte, Kraemer, and Steven
GW's Division for Student Affairs Orientation and Class Year Programs Staff

 
 
 

 

 
 

Welcome, again, to GW! While you're not quite here with us, we are so excited for your pending arrival. Soon we'll be welcoming you, literally and figuratively, with open arms into our campus community! Whether helping to carry your gear into the residence halls, directing you to various buildings on campus or greeting you at orientation activities, many of us have been busy preparing for your arrival next month.


The transition to college is exciting, yet challenging, and we want to provide as much support as possible throughout this process. You may soon find yourself experiencing a wide range of emotions. You may be excited about the new adventure that lies ahead and simultaneously nervous about how you'll adjust. Some of you may be looking forward to experiencing more freedom and adventure, while others may be initially enthusiastic, but then discover things to be more demanding than anticipated.


No matter what your expectations are and how different everyone's experiences will look, we know that beginning a new chapter at GW represents a big change along with opportunities for growth, newly emerging challenges and accumulation of rich interpersonal experiences. We also want you to know that nearly every one of you will encounter obstacles that you didn't anticipate. Even positive life changes produce stress, and leaving home can lead to feelings of sadness, loneliness and worry, which are all typical and OK to feel during this time.


As the Director of GW's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), I want you to know that attending to your mental health and wellbeing will be critical to your success.


Often, having a sense of what you're going through helps reduce the negative impact it can have on your life. Try to be mindful of the changes that will likely greet you, and develop some ideas about how to respond as you move through your first several weeks.


To help you determine just how great your transition can be, we encourage you to take a few minutes to complete this online Mental Well-Being Preparedness Plan. In preparation for the semester ahead, it asks you to take note of what it is that you will need to bring with you to navigate various scenarios throughout your adjustment to GW. You can think of this worksheet as a packing and preparation list for your mental health and wellbeing.


If there is one piece of advice that I can leave you with to keep in mind in the coming months and years, it is this: Struggling is not a sign of weakness or failure. In fact, struggling is usually the first phase of developing a new strength or strategy for success and wisdom. It is also a sign of emotional intelligence to recognize when it could be helpful to seek out additional support and resources on campus.

Tips for Settling In To College

I wish you all a semester ahead of new connections, learning, growth and adventures and encourage you all to take good care of yourselves and each other in the process.

Dr. Jessica Parillo
Director, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Colonial Health Center

 

 

Graphic: Action Items Reminders & Upcoming Deadlines with calendar and clip board

 

Tasks to Complete in July…

A JUMP START TO ORIENTATION:
ATTEND Your Virtual Halfway to GW Session.
Halfway to GW is a two-day virtual orientation that will set the foundation for a successful academic, personal, cultural, and social transition into the GW community. You will receive your zoom links and schedule a week prior to your session. **Please log-in using your GW email address.

READ Your Copy of The Power of Regret.
You should have received a copy of this year's New Student Orientation book, The Power of Regret. As you may have heard, Empowering Community: Reflection & Resilience is this year's theme for orientation. To dive deeper into our theme, we will read "The Power of Regret" by Daniel Pink together as a class. This book explores how regret, our most misunderstood emotion, can be the pathway to our best life. Please read the book before the first day of in-person orientation.

REGISTER for a Co-Curricular Program (if you did not in June).
GW Pre-Orientation Programs help first-year students connect with peers around a shared identity, specialized topic, or common area of interest. Note: Students participating in other pre-orientation programs such as the SEAS Getaway, Women's Leadership, and University Honors are not able to participate in these other co-curricular activities as they are held at the same time. Adventure BoundLead GW and Founding Scholars are all open now!

*Note* ICL will return to being an upperclass program. Instead, Community Building Community will be available for first-year students. Community Building Community (CBC) is hosted by units across GW's Office for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE) and explores the intersections of community engagement and diversity, preparing students for their roles as leaders and engaging them in community and civic engagement both on campus and in the D.C. community. CBC will begin Sunday, Aug 21 at 5 pm and will continue through Aug 23. For questions, email [email protected].

  • First-year students in the following scholar cohorts should register for this program: Chicago Scholars, Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute, Civic House, District Scholars, IMPACT/Yes Prep, Posse, Say Yes to Education, Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Politics and Values.

READ the Buff & Blue Book (PDF)
Pay close attention to the Student Well-Being and GW Technology & Systems sections this month.

COMPLETE the Student Well-Being, Student Rights & Responsibilities, and Technology sections of the Online Orientation by July 20.
Continue working on last month's Academic Support, Study Abroad, Student Support Services, and Living On-Campus sections if you have not yet completed them, as those sections are required to register for advising sessions.


IN FOCUS: ACADEMICS

TAKE Placement Exams
If you plan to enroll in ECONMATHCHEM, or a language course, you must complete your placement exams.

SIGN-UP for a date/time to register for your fall courses* by July 19.
Your initial meeting with your academic advisor will be a virtual session. *Exception: first-year students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) are pre-registered for fall courses in mid-to-late July and you will not have a virtual session w/an advisor. See the online orientation module for more details.

REGISTER with Disability Support Services, if you would like additional support to accomodate a disability for your classes or living on campus. (optional)
The Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) will host virtual orientation sessions in July and August for students interested in accommodations for the fall. Students must attend one of the three orientations listed below to receive accommodations. To register and receive a link to the webinar, email [email protected] at least three business days prior to the event.

 

REVIEW and Update Your Personal Information
Go to: GWeb (https://it.gwu.edu/gweb) by choosing "My Profile" under the Personal Information menu. Here you can add or update your Chosen name (which will be your display name across university systems, including class rosters), pronouns and gender identity, and contacct information. To update your legal name or sex, please use the Registrar's Biographical Update form.

 

PAST DUE
REGISTER to Live On-Campus in our Residence Halls.
The deadline to register to live-on campus this fall or request an exemption was June 6.
Students who registered by the deadline have been assigned a room. If you missed the deadline, we urge you to contact [email protected] ASAP to request help in completing the registration process.

UPLOAD COVID-19 Vaccination Documentation to the Medical Portal
The deadline to upload your COVID-19 vaccination documentation was July 1.
GW requires all members of our community to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster shot, or have an exemption on file. If you have already uploaded your documentation - Thank you! If you have not, please do so ASAP. You will not be allowed to live in the residence halls or register for classes without documentation on file. **Please reach out to [email protected] with questions about your documentation.

SUBMIT Your Photo To Set-Up Your GWorld Card
The deadline to upload your GWorld Card photo was July 1.
Your GWorld Card (GW's official ID card) grants you access to campus including all academic buildings, the library and your residence hall. Residential students will pick-up their card when they check-in to their residence hall. Commuter students can pick-up their card after Aug. 20 during GWorld's office hours.

 

DEADLINE APPROACHING: AUGUST 1
UPLOAD Other Required Immunizations
The District of Columbia Immunization Law requires that all students under the age of 26 enrolled at GW, provide proof of certain immunizations prior to registration, including tetanus, MMR, Varicella (chicken pox), Hepatitis B and Meningococcal vaccine, among others. Newly-admitted undergraduate students are required to provide proof of immunization by Aug. 1 or they will incur a registration hold on their student account.


COMING SOON 
REVIEW Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) & Waiver
All undergraduate students, medical, on-campus nursing, on-campus health science, and all international students holding a J1 or F1 visa are required to carry student health insurance while they study at GW. At the beginning of each academic year, these students are automatically enrolled in GW's Student Health Insurance Program, called GW SHIP. Students who want to opt-out of the university coverage because they are still covered by their parent's health domestic-based health insurance must complete the waiver process each year. The fall 2022 waiver and updated insurance plan information will be available here after August 1. Note: the webpage is still active for spring/summer 2022 participants.

PICK-UP Your U•Pass Metro Cards
GW has partnered with Metro's U•Pass program to provide undergraduate students enrolled in on-campus classes within the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, Elliott School of International Affairs, GW's School of Business, Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Engineering & Applied Science with unlimited use of Metrorail and Metrobus. The $100 mandatory fee will be applied to your student account eBill. The fall 2022 U•Pass program runs Saturday, Aug. 20 through Friday, Dec. 23. Residential students will pick-up a physical GW U•Pass Metrocard when you check-in to your residence hall during move-in. Students who will be living off-campus; stay tuned for more information on where to pick-up your card the week of Aug. 22. For more information, visit http://go.gwu.edu/upass or email [email protected].

GET EXCITED for Weeks of Welcome in August
You're invited! With August just right around the corner, GW University would like to invite you to Weeks of Welcome! Starting August 27th, campus will be filled with various events and free activities to welcome and welcome back students. The official calendar is now online and can be found on the official Weeks of Welcome webpage. Join us for events such as First Night, Org Fair Fridays, Silent Disco, a concert, and more! You do not want to miss out.


REMINDERS 
VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS WITH OUR OLs – We host weekly virtual office hours each Wednesday from 9 am - 5pm EDT through Aug. 17. Our friendly Student Orientation Leaders will take turns being online to answer questions and help connect you to campus resources. To access our virtual office hours, log into Zoom using your GW student email. If your family member has questions, please log-on with them via your email. Click go.gwu.edu/OrientationOfficeHours to chat.
** Reminder, this link will only be active & open on Wednesdays.

FIRST YEAR REGISTRATION HOLD – As you review your BanWeb for holds, you will notice a First Year Registration hold on your account. This hold will remain on your account until the date/time of your class registration, at which time it will be lifted. The hold will be placed back on your account until the add/drop period (August 12 at 9 a.m. EDT)

 

Graphic: Must Follow Accounts with Social media logos

Stay up to date with the latest events, programs, and all things GW by following these awesome accounts on Instagram!

It's easy to stay connected with us! Continue to check the Orientation website for the most up-to-date information.


Stay up to date with the latest events, programs, and all things GW by following these awesome accounts on Instagram!

 

Students posing for a photo at an event

Wondering how to make the most of your experience at GW with fun concerts, free events, and exclusive shows? Follow GW Program Board, known for planning events such as GW Gala, Spring Fling, chats with famous celebrities, and so much more.

 

 

 

 

Orientation and class year programs contact information graphic