What is O-Week?
Every August, Rice University hosts one of its most cherished traditions: O-Week (short for “Orientation Week”). It is a week before school starts (and before upperclassman have moved onto campus) dedicated to helping you and your transition into college! While plenty of other schools offer an orientation program, Rice’s O-Week is so much more than a first introduction to Rice and Martel. During the course of the week, you’ll be immersed in a community that will guide you in your exploration in every way imaginable. O-Week will introduce you to the academic scene and social life at Rice. New Students can connect with upperclassmen and get a sense of the tradition, culture, and community of Rice and their residential college.
You will meet...
So many people!! Rice students are so passionate about the preservation of Rice’s culture that many dedicated upperclassmen, who are called Advisors and Co-Advisors, give up weeks of their summers to come back early to help integrate you into our family. You may not know them yet, but they know you and have been waiting to meet you for weeks! Most of your O-Week activities are done with your amazing O-Week group! Each group has a name, which is a clever pun based on the theme. Your O-Week group will be together most of the time during O-Week, and will also continue to do things together and stay involved with each other throughout the year. Check out our People page to meet the advisors and teams!
50% Academic, 50% Fun
(Of course academics are fun too!). While your friends at other universities have probably started navigating class-scheduling systems and selecting the courses they’re going to take in the fall, all course selection for New Students at Rice occurs during O-Week. Though this can be daunting, don't worry, you'll have the guidance of your Advising Team and Rice faculty to help you get an idea of what you want from your Rice degree. You will be able to meet one-on-one with your designated O-Week PAAs (Peer Academic Advisors) who are trained all summer to give guidance for all majors. Whether you’re sure of what you want to do, or if you have no idea which major to choose - there is plenty of time and plenty of resources dedicated to helping you out during O-Week - and beyond. Of course, you are welcome to start exploring classes you would like to take or requirements for your major, but don't stress about it!
