OWeek Unfiltered: What to Expect
Written by: Macey Whiteside, 3rd Year FIMS
OWeek (Orientation Week) at Western University is widely regarded as one of the most fun University OWeeks in Ontario and also one of the most fun weeks of your university experience. It’s your chance to meet other first years from all over, experience campus, get situated in your faculty, and have fun while doing it.
While OWeek is an extremely fun and exciting time, it is also overwhelming and can be anxiety-triggering due to the unfamiliar place and people you will be experiencing this week. From someone who struggles with meeting new people, being social for long periods, and knowing no one coming into Western, here is my honest experience from Western’s OWeek and what you can expect over the next seven days.
Programming
Faculty, residence and USC main stage programming are largely what make up the events during OWeek and what makes it so much fun. These events can range from the concert, silent disco, bubble soccer and much much more.
The programs primarily aim to help you connect with people in your residence neighborhood, faculties, and across campus by participating in events that make meeting others feel more comfortable and less awkward. I highly recommend going to your neighbourhood and residence events as this is where you will meet the people you see the most. If you’re living off campus, there are also lots of events and programs run by the OC Soph team! I also recommend going to the silent disco because I did not go my first year and always regretted it due to how many people said it was one of their favourite events.
As there are going to be scheduled events all day and night of OWeek, it can overwhelming to choose which events to go to and when. I recommend that you pick a couple each day and try them out, even if you only stop in for a short amount of time. Do not feel pressure to attend every single one, because who knows if you miss out on a couple maybe you will Soph next year and get to experience them again.
Further, do not be afraid to attend the events alone. I know it can be nerve-wracking but everyone is there to meet new people and there will be Sophs at every event to help make it fun for you and introduce you to other first-year students. Remember, you will never regret going to the programming, the only thing I regretted from my OWeek was staying in my room and not taking advantage of everything Western had to offer.
Make sure to download the USC Now App to see the full schedule and get up-to-date information on OWeek. You can also visit oweek.ca for more details!
Concert
Over this week, Western throws two main concerts at the Health Sci field. One on Monday with a DJ or a more lowkey performer (this year it’s Tower Lane Mashup DJ John Easy!) and the second on Saturday with a performer that will be announced on @WesternUSC Instagram. These concerts are the most hyped-up event of OWeek and students often especially look forward to the Saturday concert.
Although the concerts can be the most exciting events of OWeek, it’s important to remember to pace yourself and if you choose to consume, do so responsibly. Remember to charge your phone before going out, eat a meal, drink plenty of water (campus will have water filling stations!) and stay safe. Western even has Care Hub locations on campus throughout the week where you can drop-in to visit with Staff, Faculty, Sophs and Counselling support and where you can also fill up on water, snacks, charge your phone, and collect personal hygiene and sexual wellness supplies.
Personally, while I did have fun at the concerts, I wouldn’t say these were the highlight of my OWeek. Being a very short person, it was overwhelming and hot as it was one of the more popular events and a bit more crowded. While some people may thrive in that environment, I found it best to stay back and watch the concert from afar.
SOPHS!!!
Speaking as an MIT Soph, Sophs are one of the parts of OWeek that make Westerns OWeek so fun and unique. Sophs are upper-year students who assist in OWeek to make your experience as fun, safe and comfortable as possible.
Sophs can be highly outgoing, extroverted and high energy. While this is great for keeping up the vibe of OWeek, it can also be intimidating at first. However, Sophs are there for you! They went through rounds of interviews and weeks of training all because of how much they want to help first years have the best year possible. They want to help you connect with your peers and campus community and are always there to help you- don’t be afraid to lean on them!
One of the main jobs of Sophs is keeping you and other first years safe. That means that you should not be afraid to tell or ask them anything as it’s their job to assist you with no judgment. For instance, I suggest you take advantage of walk homes. This is where a Soph will walk you to a destination on campus, such as an event or to your residence, or they will wait with you for a Western shuttle to take you off campus. They are even able to walk you to affiliate campuses.
If I learned anything from first year it was to use your Sophs as much as you can. Sophs can be extremely helpful as they are a person you know and you can rely on for social, emotional and academic support. They can help you in your classes and connect you to campus resources. I highly suggest that you reach out to them and come to faculty day and other events Sophs will host for you. It truly makes OWeek more enjoyable.
The Truth
The truth is, OWeek will not be the best time for everyone. For some, OWeek is regarded as the most fun week of the first semester or first year. However, for me and many others, this will not be the case. Although OWeek is super exciting, it can also be overwhelming due to the pressure to socialize and meet new friends as soon as possible. I found that as the year progressed it got more and more fun as I became more comfortable in residence and with the people I was around. So do not stress if you aren’t loving OWeek and think this is supposed to be your peak. Trust me, it’s not.
I found that it felt like people were creating cliques within days of OWeek and I felt like if I didn’t have a friend group by then, I wouldn’t have friends. This wasn’t the case as I truly became friends with my current friend group at the very end of first year and have since met many of my close friends in second year. So, don’t stress about making a friend group the first week or even month. It will take time and many people who seem to have a close-knit group in September may drift apart by second semester.
With that said, you will have fun at OWeek, so try to enjoy it as best as possible, go into it with the mindset that everyone has good intentions and everyone is in the same boat as you, meaning people want to talk to you and make new friends. Don’t be afraid to start conversations and initiate friendships, people will be happy you did it, and you will too. Enjoy it, you only get one OWeek.
Check out the OWeek schedule via the USC Now App!
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