Why I Should Come

• To experience campus life
• To meet with an academic adviser
• To schedule and register for fall classes
• To leave campus with your fall schedule

You must attend both days of the two-day session, or all of the one-day session. The two-day session ends at 12 noon on Day 2; the one-day session ends at 4 p.m.

How I Prepare

• To make a reservation, log on to our website and select a session by May 12. Tell if you plan to spend the night.
• Your parents should indicate if they’ll be attending the Parents Program. If they want to spend the night on campus, they should make their reservation through UNH Conferences..
• Complete the Course Selection Worksheet for your college or school, and bring it to Orientation. Review the online University catalog.

Parents

Yes, bring your parents. We cannot, however, accommodate friends and pets. For more information about our Parents Program.

Check-in

Check-in at Stoke Hall, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. except June 17 & 23. (On June 17 & 23, check-in at Stoke Hall, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.) Park in lot A. Parents go to the Memorial Union.

Friends & Pets

We cannot accommodate friends and pets at First-Year Orientation. However, your parents are welcome to attend.

Housing for Students

I’m a first-year student attending the overnight program. Where will I stay and how much does it cost?
As a first-year student, during Orientation you will sleep in Stoke Hall. There is no charge for this accommodation. Please bring your sleeping bag, pillow, towel, and money for snacks. Also, bring a guitar, banjo, harmonica, or other musical instrument if you want to be part of an informal after-hours gathering!

Housing for Parents

Parents may reserve overnight accommodations at cost through UNH Conferences.

Meals

For first-year students who attend the overnight program, dinner and breakfast are provided at no charge.

Inexpensive lunches will be available on campus for parents and freshmen before and after the overnight program.

First-year students who attend the one-day program will be provided with lunch at no cost. An inexpensive lunch is available for parents who attend the one-day program.

What to bring

o Your completed Course Selection Worksheet
o Your Social Security Card or Driver's license for your photo ID
o A notebook and pen
o Sleeping bag, pillow, and towel (if you’re spending the night)

My parents would rather stay in a local hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast. What are some options for them?

Here is a partial list of local accommodations:
Holiday Inn Express, Durham, (603) 868-1234
Hickory Pond Inn, Durham, (603) 659-2227
Three Chimneys, Durham, (603) 868-7800
Days Inn, Dover, (603) 742-0400
Comfort Inn, Portsmouth, (603) 433-3338
Fairfield Inn, Portsmouth, (603) 436-6363
Holiday Inn, Portsmouth, (603) 431-8000

I have a disability. What to do before I come

Disability Services provides services for students with documented physical, psychological, medical and/or learning disabilities. These services may include: accessible classrooms; specialized software; van transportation on campus; classroom accommodations—note takers, extended exam time, interpreters for the deaf—and other appropriate accommodations as requested and supported by documentation. Documentation of your disability is required and should be sent well in advance.
Please contact Access at (603) 862-2607 V/TTY prior to attending Orientation so that we will be aware of your needs and may make the necessary arrangements for you. While you are here for Orientation, we strongly urge you to meet with the Access Office staff to plan and discuss needs for accommodation.I will be commuting to and from campus.

I am in the Honors Program

During their first and second years, University Honors Program participants take a minimum of four honors-designated general education courses, on e of which is the honors seminar. We encourage incoming first-year students to register for one or two honors courses in their first semester.
An Honors Program adviser will be available at all sessions of Orientation to answer questions for honors students and their parents and provide information on honors courses offered for the fall semester.

International Affairs

Through the Center for International Education, this interdisciplinary second major allows undergraduates at any college to complement their primary major with the study of the international affairs. IA requires three core courses and four related electives, a mastery of geographical knowledge, advanced-level competency in a foreign language, and completion of a foreign experience of at least eight weeks duration.

First year students interested in pursuing IA are encouraged to complete IA-401 and IA-501 during their first and second years, and to start taking the foreign language of their focus as early as possible.

An IA advisor will be available at all sessions of Orientation to answer questions for interested students and their parents and provide information on IA courses offered for fall semester. During the first year, IA students should work with the advisor to set up a plan of study to ensure timely graduation.

Parking Services in the Visitor Center, Lot A.

For more information on campus Parking Services: www.unh.edu/transportation/parking                                                                                             

Off Campus and Commuter Services assists off-campus students in problem solving and locating the resources they need. If you aren’t sure where to go next, come to the Leadership Center. We are located in Suite 122 of the Memorial Union. Stop in or call us at (603) 862-0303.
A list of off-campus housing options in the Seacoast area is available on-line at. Printed resources range from sublease agreements and renters’ rights brochures, to where to study on campus and how to get involved. Pickup your UNH and Durham Community Guide for UNH Commuters during the Orientation Resource Fair.
In addition, the Information Desk in the Memorial Union is open seven days a week. The desk has jumper cables to loan, and bus and parking information. Lockers are also available for rent on a semester basis

What opportunities exist for multicultural students?

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA), located in the Memorial Union Building, is committed to advocating and affirming diversity at the University, providing support services to students of color—African-American, Latino(a), and Native American—and to sexual minorities.
Computers are available in the office to write papers and complete other class assignments, access career development information, conduct graduate and professional school searches, and network with other campuses.
The office also acts as a liaison with the student-run Diversity Support Coalition, which consists of Mosaico; the Alliance (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students); the Black Student Union; Hillel (Jewish student cultural organization); the Disabled Students Organization; the Native American Cultural Association; and the United Asian Coalition. For more information, call (603) 862-2050.

CONNECT is an optional program for first-year and transfer students of color, held just before fall orientation and usually the last week in August. Students of color will have the opportunity to meet upper-class students of color, faculty, staff and become familiar with the UNH campus before the majority population arrives.

UNH Proves (PreOrientation Volunteer Experience in Service) is a week long program prior to Wildcat Days.  Student participate in volunteer community activities in the seacoast, develop leadership skills, and get to know the University and the Seacoast area.  For more information, www.unh.edu/proves

PAWS Preorientation program through Campus Recreation prior to Wildcat Days

Back Country Adventure is both an pre-orientation experience and a UNH class (KIN 551 3-credits). Open to first-year students and taught by UNH outdoor education faculty.

Wildcat Days Fall semester begins for you with UNH Wildcat Days—an academic and social orientation to the University. You are expected to participate in all program activities during your first weekend on campus and leading to the first day of classes.

The UNH Outing Club runs a series of outdoor adventure trips prior to Wildcat Days.

Marine Immersion is a credit-experience at the Isles of Shoals Marine Lab just before Wildcat Days.

Wildcat Days

I have a question that isn’t on this list. What do I do?

Call or email our First-Year Programs office. You’ll reach us on weekdays from 8:30 – 4:30 (Eastern time) at (603) 862-3488. If you call after hours, leave a message with your name, phone number, and time when you may be reached, and we’ll call you back. Our email address is first.year@unh.edu.