Greetings initiated into the PAL Program for Week 16!
Oberlin College's Peer Advising Leaders (PAL) Program: A Comprehensive Support System for New Students
The Peer Advising Leaders (PAL) program at Oberlin College serves as a vital support system for incoming students, helping them navigate the transition to college life. This peer-support initiative is designed to foster a supportive community, ease the adjustment to college routines, and promote student success both socially and academically.
The Role of PALs
PALs are selected Oberlin students who receive training to prepare them for their advisory role. They operate through organized group activities and one-on-one support, offering guidance and resources to help students thrive in their first year.
The PAL Cohort Experience
Each PAL leads a cohort of 15 new students who share a class through the First-Year Seminar program (FYSP). In these meetings, students can start building relationships, articulate their goals, and plan for their arrival to campus. This cohort experience continues into the semester through the co-curricular LEAD 050 course.
PAL's Role during Orientation and the First Semester
During orientation, PALs lead sessions, facilitate workshops, and organize social gatherings to integrate new students into the campus community. Throughout the first semester, PALs maintain regular contact with their advisees, offering help with course selection, study strategies, and connecting students to campus resources.
The LEAD 050 Course
The LEAD 050 course, which connects students with important campus resources inside and outside the classroom, plays a crucial role in preparing students for appointments with their academic advisors to plan for future semesters. It also helps students understand important campus policies like the Honor Code.
Support for Conservatory Students
The Conservatory Peer Advising Leaders (ConPAL) program is available for incoming first-year students in the Bachelor of Music program. ConPALs are students in their second, third, fourth, or fifth year of Oberlin's B.M. program. The ConPAL program begins once students arrive on campus at Oberlin and culminates in a night of games, bowling, trivia, and prizes at Hales Gymnasium at the end of September. ConPAL cohorts are designed to include a diverse range of instruments and majors.
The Ethos of "Obies Helping Obies"
The PAL program encourages the ethos of "Obies helping Obies," fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among students. This program continues throughout New Student Orientation and the fall semester, providing ongoing support to help students succeed in their first year at Oberlin College.
- The LEAD 050 course, which connects students with important campus resources both inside and outside the classroom, can aid students in various aspects of their lives, including lifestyle and home-and-garden matters through the resources provided, as well as education-and-self-development, and learning, by helping them understand crucial campus policies and strategies for academic success.
- The PAL Cohort Experience, which starts with meetings during summer orientation and continues through the co-curricular LEAD 050 course, serves not only to help students adjust academically and socially to college life but also provides an opportunity for them to engage in learning experiences beyond the classroom, fostering a holistic growth that encompasses home-and-garden, education-and-self-development, and lifestyle.
