The Graduate Student Association plans for graduate student O-week

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Graduate Student Association is kicking off their annual ‘Graduate Student Orientation,’ which is set to begin on Sept. 6.

This year, graduate students can look forward to a day of sessions, activities and a keynote presentation from social media celebrity, Lego Grad Student (LGS).

Natalie Gleba, the GSA’s vice president: student experience, said they are expecting approximately 300 new graduate students to attend Graduate Student Orientation. Gleba noted the events and sessions will be focusing on support and services that are offered to graduate students through the GSA. 

“It will give them an idea of what we have available and help them with their degree just kind of getting them that knowledge when they first come,” Gleba said.

During the day, students have the opportunity to choose a concurrent session to attend, some of which includes “Building Financial Success” and “Career, Professionalization and Skill Development.”

At 6:30PM, Lego Grad Student is set to present his keynote in the Turret. The character, created by an anonymous narrator, posts scenarios about the daily life of graduate students on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, where he has gained thousands of followers.

During his keynote, LGS is set to focus on how graduate students need to take their personal health and lifestyle into consideration when attending school.

“It’s really easy to kind of forget about yourself while you’re going through your studies whether you’re in a coursework program or in classes or you’re doing a PhD, there’s just many different areas of personal health that we kind of forget about,” Gleba said.

“There’s been a lot of hype over [the keynote] and even past graduate students and alumni are wanting to buy tickets to come see him, so we think it will be a full house for that.”

On Thursday, students can look forward to the GSA’s annual Patio Party at Veritas Café, where they will have the opportunity to meet fellow graduate students from different programs and faculties.

“With grad schools, you can get stuck in those [areas where] you don’t really meet anyone else outside of your program so the Patio Party is a really great opportunity for students to socialize and network with those outside of their programs,” Gleba said.

Returning graduate students, as well as those on the Brantford campus, are also expected to make an appearance during the sessions and presentation. 

“Our main focus for orientation is just reminding students that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and if you’re not well you’re going to do well, you really have to take a personal interest into your own health too throughout your studies to have the most happy and most successful degree,” Gleba concluded.