Campus comes alive as thousands of new students kick off their UCalgary journey

Across Aug. 28 and 29, UCalgary welcomed over 4,415 incoming students at New Student Orientation, filling campus with energy, cheers and plenty of new connections. 

From the energizing pep rally featuring Olympian Mark Tewksbury, to engaging workshops and panels, and concluding with the highly anticipated KICKOFF game between the UCalgary Dinos and University of Regina Rams, this year’s incoming students experienced an unforgettable start to their university journey.

Highlights from this year’s Orientation:

• New this year: Nine new sessions were added to the event lineup, plus student entertainment at the pep rally, a streamlined registration system through Showpass, and a My First Year on Campus planner to guide the first-year student experience
• Panels and events: Making friends, planning for success, and learning from student peers were popular topics for new Dinos, with Speed Friending, Designing a Successful Uni Experience, and student-led panels drawing some of the largest crowds
• Pep rally: Mark Tewksbury energized the pep rally crowd with a keynote address
• UCalgaryStrong Carnival returned with games, activities and plenty of opportunities for new students to connect with friends
• Calgary Stampede Showband made a special appearance, pumping up the crowd at the KICKOFF tailgate and pre-game celebrations
• Thank you, volunteers! 285 student and staff volunteers helped make this year a success, including Orientation leaders, senior leaders and welcome ambassadors

New Student Orientation continues to grow and evolve each year, thanks to the energy of student and staff volunteers, campus partners and the thousands of first-year students eager to Start Something. 

Welcome to the UCalgary family!