UC hosts summer events for incoming engineering students
The transition from high school to college can seem daunting – especially for out-of-town students. Summer orientation is a great way for incoming students to see the university first-hand, but it’s often the only opportunity students have to meet other students before they start classes in the fall.
Over the last several months, the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) undergraduate enrollment office hosted 10 events across Ohio and Indiana to give incoming students another opportunity to engage with the university before starting in August.
The office covered a lot of ground, hosting events in Indianapolis, Dayton, Columbus, Toledo, Canton, Akron and Cleveland. Students attended events in their own backyard, without traveling all the way to Cincinnati.
“By hosting events in cities where students live, we allow these students to meet other future engineers who are living in their area, giving them the opportunity to build a community before even starting their first semester,” said Dane Sowers, program coordinator at CEAS.
Events included professional baseball games, soccer matches, an arcade night at Dave and Buster’s and an escape room event.
“It was fun to meet a couple of people who I’ll probably have classes with this upcoming semester,” said incoming chemical engineering student Danielle Veigel, who attended an Akron RubberDucks minor league baseball game with the group.
To balance the diverse range of student interest, the team added other events like game nights and a tour of Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Canton.
“We were very excited to partner with Marathon because it gave the company a great opportunity to showcase some of their facilities to potential future co-op students,” said Sowers. “It also gave the students an in-depth look at potential applications of various types of engineering.”
With about two months until the start of their fall semester, these incoming Bearcats are already embracing the UC community. Sowers thinks these students gained a lot from the events, both socially and professionally.
“Many of the students talked at length with people they had never met before,” he said. “We hope that, as a result, they are more excited to join the Bearcat family this fall.”
Featured image at top: Students pose at a Columbus Crew game. Photo/Provided
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