July 3 Weekly Message for New Families

Bottom Line, Up Front

  • Thoughts on course registration
  • Move-in reminders, especially re: Pre-Orientation
  • Orientation Schedule draft
  • Reminder: Family Weekend event registration opens July 11
  • Fraternity and Sorority webinars July 25 and August 3
  • Encourage your student to consider Project Wake
  • Recording from June 27 Virtual New Student Reception

Dear parents and families of incoming students,

Because tomorrow is a holiday, we are bringing you this edition of the Weekly Message for New Families a day early. We know most students’ minds are on upcoming course registration, so we will start with that information:

Thoughts on Course Registration

  • Registration for fall classes begins at your student’s assigned time ticket – which is accessible in the registration portal – on July 10th. This can be a high-stress time for students, and it is easy for families and loved ones to feel that stress too. Here are a few tips that we hope might make this process easier:
    • Let your students take the lead on researching classes to take, and what they sign up for.
    • Urge them to use the resources from Wake Forest when they have questions or need help. Those Wake Forest staff have expertise and broad understanding of our requirements, which positions them to best assist our students.
    • Help your student be open to alternatives: classes at a different day or time than they hoped, or with a different faculty member. Remind your student that every class they take – even if it was not their first choice! – will help advance them to the 120 hours they need to graduate.
    • Make sure your student is aware of the Course Completion Checklist and understands that they have options when it comes to completing divisional requirements.
    • Remind them to trust the process. Things have a way of working out in the end – and there will be a drop/add period if they want to make changes.
    • There are ample academic resources on the New Students website related to registration; urge your Deacs to read through all of the Planning for Registration information, as well as the Class Registration page, which has step by step registration instructions (including where they see their registration day/time). 

Move-in reminders

There have been some questions about move-in dates, and I wanted to share the info sent to your students on June 30th:

  • Students approved to participate in Marching Band, Wilderness to Wake, or WakeWell will move in on Friday, August 18th no later than 4 p.m.
  • Students approved to participate in all other Pre-Orientation programs (including Connect@Wake) will move in on Saturday, August 19th no later than 4 p.m.
    • Any student not enrolled in a Pre-Orientation program will not be approved to move into their housing assignment until Wednesday, August 23rd.

For those participating in a Pre-Orientation program, you may choose:

  • To send your student to campus with the bare necessities for Pre-Orientation and then you bring their remaining belongings for move-in on Wednesday, August 23rd. This enables you to participate in parent and family Orientation activities; OR
  • To move your student in fully on their assigned Pre-Orientation move-in date.
  • Note that Pre-Orientation participants will be moving into their Fall room assignment (i.e., their room for the academic year).
  • We encourage you to arrive on campus prior to 3 p.m. EST (if possible) so that you can attend our welcome reception for students and families:  

Friday, August 18th and Saturday, August 19th

4-5 p.m.

*On-Campus Location, TBA

All Pre-Orientation participants and their families are cordially invited to connect with members of the campus community through an informal reception hosted by Orientation, Family Communications and the Office of Family Engagement. Remarks at 4:30 p.m.

Orientation Schedule draft

We will be publishing the Orientation schedule later this summer via the Guidebook app. However, we know that students and families are very interested in getting a sense of what the schedule will be. Therefore, we have a tentative schedule of Orientation activities as of today, just to help you plan travel and more. Please use this as a draft, tentative guideline until our Guidebook app is launched in mid-July; items may be subject to change

Reminder: Family Weekend event registration opens July 11

Family Weekend event registration will open July 11; you may wish to put a reminder in your calendar now. If you would like to begin making travel arrangements, here is a high-level overview of the weekend’s events:

  • Check in for Family Weekend will begin at 10 am on Friday morning, September 22. We will host our annual Deacon Family Festivities that afternoon, followed by the Friday night meal (tickets sold separately), and the night of entertainment. Saturday the 23rd will host a variety of pre-game activities which include access to the student tailgate area before the game. On Sunday the 24th, we conclude the weekend with a farewell brunch (tickets sold separately).

Fraternity and Sorority webinars July 25 and August 3

Is your student interested in learning more about Fraternity and Sorority Life? There will be two webinars for students and families where Fraternity and Sorority Life staff will discuss general information about our community, common values all of our organizations share, differences in our councils, and requirements to join a chapter. 

Dates and times are: Tuesday, July 25th at 12 p.m. EST (Register Here) and Thursday, Aug. 3rd at 6 p.m. EST (Register Here).

Encourage your student to consider Project Wake

Wake Forest has a long tradition of engaging in a summer academic project on an issue of intellectual and social importance. The tradition – called Project Wake – includes reading a book before you arrive on campus, then having time set aside during New Deac Week for students to have a conversation (led by a faculty or staff member) on what they have read. It is a favorite New Deac Week activity.

This year’s Project Wake theme is “Becoming Yourself and Engaging with Others.” Faculty and staff discussion leaders have chosen a variety of books that relate to this theme; see the books here and can register here using their WFU email address.

Project Wake is a terrific way for students to build their social network and campus connections by getting to know a group of people who all were interested in the same book. For introverts like me, this can also be an easier way to join in on something, because you know it will be a smaller group (and in fact, the Project Wake book I am leading is about introverts!). Project Wake can also be a great ‘test run’ to help students begin to feel comfortable participating in classroom discussions. Encourage your Deacs to consider Project Wake!

Recording from June 27 Virtual New Student Reception

If you were not able to attend our Virtual New Student Reception on June 27th, you can watch the recording here. At the end of the recording is special information for international students and families.

Our second Virtual New Student Reception will be on July 17th; sign up here. 

Parting thoughts

We will continue sending messages to our new families each week this summer with reminders of key action items and other information we hope will be helpful. In case you missed one of our weekly messages, they are all archived here.

With best wishes,

Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (‘92, MA ‘94)
Executive Director of Family Communications

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