UL Global warmly welcomed over 1650 new international students to UL this September. Our 7-day Orientation programme commenced on Sunday 1st September 2024, with the arrival of many to Shannon Airport. They were then brought to campus by our brilliant group of UL Global Orientation Guides, on the complimentary shuttle.
Each day students were given information sessions to provide them with the tools they need to successfully navigate university life. They participated in academic preparation sessions with teams and faculty, were connected to campus resources and built the social networks they are going to rely on for the semester or year ahead. This year we also got to share the week with the incoming domestic first-years which offered the new international students an idea of the vibrancy on campus in the coming weeks.
This year the Student Engagement team piloted some new initiatives with the opening of The Globe, established a new social media account @globe_ul and piloted some new student engagement activities like FriendFest, Taste of Irish and Comedy Bingo – all of which attracted large crowds. Our Supports and Services videos were also a new initiative to highlight the key services that our students are likely to need over the months ahead. These were shared with students in the Countdown Emails before their arrival in Ireland. As usual, the Parkway Shopping trip, Trad Night, Campus Run, Go Gaelic, Movie Night, Celtic Steps and Milk Market Tour were a huge success.
Orientation week at UL is much more than a series of events; it’s a foundational experience that can shape the rest of a student's time at university. By helping students navigate academic, social, and administrative aspects of university life, orientation week sets them up for success both inside and outside the classroom. We are confident that our International students have had the best possible introduction to UL with International Orientation Week Autumn 2024.