Fall Orientation

Fall Orientation 2025 planning is underway! 

​​​​​Below, you will see information from Fall Orientation 2024 as a reference. This website will be updated in the summer leading into Fall Orientation.

Fall Orientation for undergraduate students comprises two parts – University Orientation programming and Faculty Orientation programming. Both aspects of Fall Orientation are designed to support your transition to University and prepare you for the school year ahead!

For a more detailed look at the schedules, visit Schedule Hub!

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4  Day 5  Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9

Residence Move in 

First-Year OCC Welcome

University Orientation

University Orientation 

Faculty Orientation Starts!

Faculty Orientation Day!

First Day of Classes!
 

 

Classes

 

Classes

 

Classes

 

Faculty Orientation Day!

Faculty Orientation Day!

Residence

Building Meetings (Evening)

 

Are you unsure which Orientation activities are free and what you need to register for? Don't worry—take our simple Orientation Program quiz!

Orientation Program Quiz

 

What to Expect:

We can’t wait to welcome you to Queen’s University during Fall Orientation 2024!  Queen's Bands preforming Oil Thigh.

University Orientation is a free program run by the Student Experience Office. It is part of First Year Foundations and, in collaboration with Faculty Orientation, makes up Queen’s Fall Orientation!
It is open to all incoming students and is free!

Check your schedule in your Faculty Handbook, on Schedule Hub, with your Residence Don or Off-Campus Leader!

You Will:

  • Learn about the resources and clubs available at Queen’s and how to access them;
  • Engage with interactive content that will help you feel a sense of belonging and school spirit;
  • Participate in class-wide events, such as a special Welcome Address from our Principal;
  • And so much more!

Events

Welcome Home Night - Aug 31 at 7:30 pm, Tindall Field

  • There is a little something for everyone at Welcome Home Night like tricolour crafts, a movie night, snacks and sports! Come out and meet upper-year leaders and an evening campus tour. We will have food trucks, free snacks, and many campus partners hosting craft and activity stations - all while CFRC plays music! 

Campus Highlight Tours - Aug 31 at 7:30 pm, Tindall Field

  • Join a campus tour to hear from upper-year guides about the “need to know” locations for your first month on campus. These short evening tours will introduce you to the essential locations for snacks, studying and staying fit.

Tricolour Parade and Welcome, and picnic lunch! Sept 1 at 9:45am, Tindall Parking Lot

  • The incoming class will parade to the official welcome and kick-off of Fall Orientation in Richardson Stadium. The entire incoming class will then assemble at Tindall Parking Lot and walk along Union St. together toward West Campus. They will learn the Oil Thigh, hear from student leaders, and enjoy a picnic lunch! This is the only orientation event that includes the entire open class (all faculties)!

Meet & Mingles: Find your Community 
Drop-in activities for equity-deserving students to meet students and staff in various campus offices and find community on campus. Students can build friendships with peers and connections with upper years! These events will happen throughout September. Check out the Allyship and Belonging Student Calendar for all the details! 

Have questions? Reach out to our Orientation Team at fall.orientation@queensu.ca

Faculty of Arts and Science

Arts & Science Orientation

Smith School of Business

Commerce Orientation

School of Computing

Computing Orientation

Faculty of Health Sciences

Health Sciences Orientation

School of Kinesiology

Kinesiology Orientation

New, Exchange, Worldly & Transfer Students

NEWTS Orientation

School of Nursing

Nursing Orientation

Living Off-Campus?

The First-Year Off-Campus Community (First-Year OCC) is a group of first-year students living off-campus, upper-year student leaders known as "Off-Campus Leaders" (OCLs), and an executive team of upper-year students. Working together, the First-Year OCC aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for first-year students that live in Kingston and the surrounding areas, but do not live in residence.

 

First-Year OCC Orientation

How do I attend Orientation? 
You will be automatically enrolled in University Orientation for all incoming students. There is no cost and no need to register for this program. The schedule for University Orientation events will be shared in late August.

For faculty-specific events, students will be required to register should they choose to participate in the activities planned by upper-year students. To find out more information about registering for your respective Faculty Orientation, you can visit the faculty pages and use the Program Quiz to find out which faculty is for you! 

Is Orientation mandatory?  
Participation in Orientation is optional. However, we do strongly recommend that you attend live events and work through the asynchronous content at your own pace. The goal of Orientation programming is to ease both your academic and social transitions to Queen’s and set you up for success! 

Will I be able to meet people in my program?  
Yes! Before Orientation, the Student Experience Office will offer a ton of programming for you to attend and meet your peers. During Orientation, your respective Faculty Orientation executives will be hard at work leading activities and events to give you the opportunity to meet other incoming students in your program, as well as upper-year students that can serve as your mentors throughout your time at Queen’s.