Induccion

So many things are different, yet some things are very much the same. Today was "induccion" (orientation) for new students. The photo was taken as I sat at my desk and watched two first-year students poring over materials in the courtyard just outside my office. When I walked in the building, there were computers set up with students waiting in line to register (SSCers out there will appreciate this!). All the profs from my department had 45 minutes in a room to greet about 40 incoming students to the English as a Foreign Language program. We introduced ourselves, and then students got a chance to introduce themselves - name and high school/hometown. What struck me was how similar all of this was to what we do at Salem State, right down to the look on the faces of the first-years as they listened to program requirements and what lies ahead! BUT, one thing thing about the system here is very different. Students sign up for courses they need without knowing the days/times they meet (in fact, professors still don't know when their courses meet, and they start next week!). I asked, "Then how do students plan their schedules?" The response: "They're full-time students, so they're expected to keep from 9 am - 7 pm free for classes and plan anything else around that." Hmmm. I was trying to envision how that would go over at home...