On March 2, more than 3,000 freshmen started their campus life at Ewha and most of them are busy adapting to the new environment. Lee Jae-in (Social Sciences, 1) is trying to become acquainted with many people and make new friends. However, she said that it has not been easy to interact with upperclassmen.
“There are fewer chances to meet and interact with upperclassmen than I had expected,” Lee said. “Even if I meet them at social gatherings, it is not easy to develop a lasting relationship.”
Some universities adopt a “class” system where students in a college or a department are divided into small groups. This system allows freshmen to interact with upperclassmen and receive advice on campus life and increase a sense of belonging. It also enables freshmen to meet upperclassmen on a regular basis.
Unlike other universities, Ewha does not have such a system. Freshmen have few chances to meet upperclassmen unless they join club activities or student councils.
“I decided to join the student council last year because I wanted to meet upperclassmen in my major and from other colleges,” said a sophomore who wishes to remain anonymous. “I felt that without joining any clubs or student council, I would not have such opportunities.”
Students decide on their majors when they become sophomores, making it difficult for them to socialize with upperclassmen in the same college or department.
Ewha Dawoori is a mentoring program for freshmen enabling students from the same college to interact as a group. However, with only a limited number of mentors, only a small number of mentees are selected and receive benefits from the program.
“Last year, I applied for the Ewha Dawoori, but was rejected in the screening process,” Han Na-hyun (Psychology, 2) said.
To solve the problem, Scranton College introduced the Scranton Sisters Program this year. The purpose of the program is to help freshmen adapt to new surroundings and to promote friendship with upperclassmen. It is a mandatory mentoring program for the freshmen of Scranton College. Teams are comprised of two freshmen and two sophomores, and each team has casual meetings throughout the year. Such a system is possible in Scranton College because it is smaller than other colleges.
One of the staff members of the Student Service Center (SCC) said that the Office of Student Affairs and the SCC are seeking solution to provide first-year undergraduates with improved services.
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