This summer’s FASET sessions will kick off on June 9, lasting until the middle of August in both virtual and in-person formats. As with many events during the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s hybrid FASET sessions will differ drastically from years past.
Virtual summer sessions will start with an 11:30 a.m. welcome session. The rest of the day will be filled with a small group meeting with a FASET leader, a meeting with an academic advisor and class registration.
Parents and guests can attend virtual FASET without registering to take part in presentations on academic success, financial measures, housing, campus safety and various other topics as well as attend departmental orientation and academic advising sessions with their student.
In-person sessions will start with a 7:45 a.m. welcome introduction followed by sessions from campus partners, small group meetings with FASET leaders, meetings with academic advisors and class registration.
This year, parents and guests are not allowed to attend FASET in-person due to limited space and COVID-19 protocols still in place.
Since 1971, Tech’s undergraduate student orientation, FASET — which stands for Familiarization and Adaptation to the Surroundings and Environs of Tech — has served to provide students with academic advising, assist with course registration and create an opportunity to meet and interact with current and in-coming Tech students.
FASET is offered at the start of each semester for transfer students and numerous times during the summer for incoming first-year students.
This summer, virtual sessions for incoming first-year students will take place on June 9, 10, 11 and 25 as well as July 8, 9 and 19 and Aug. 16. In-person sessions for first-year students will occur on July 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22 and 23. Virtual sessions for incoming transfer students will be held on July 30 and Aug. 16. In-person sessions for transfer students will take place on July 28 and 29.
Both the virtual and in-person formats of this year’s FASET sessions will differ from the traditional summer format during which in-coming students spend two days on campus and have the opportunity to attend an organization fair, go to events to meet other students, sleep in freshman dorms and eat in various dining halls.
This summer’s hybrid FASET format will also differ from last summer when all sessions were only offered in a virtual format.
Elise Gran, incoming first-year LMC, plans to attend FASET in person this summer.
“I am looking forward to the experience, and I expect it to be really helpful to prepare to start at Tech and plan more for the upcoming semester,” Gran said.
Gran hopes the experience will help her “become more familiar with Tech’s campus … meet more friends and learn more about [her] major classes and opportunities to get involved.”
Garrett Hinton, incoming first-year ARCH, also plans to attend FASET in person this summer because he “wanted a personal and meaningful orientation with his department on campus.”
He is particularly looking forward to “learn more about the workings of campus and that of [his] specific school.”
Like Gran and Hinton, many incoming students are looking forward to shedding virtual habits accrued during the pandemic. As of May 3, 2021, there was a waitlist for in-person FASET sessions.
However, some groups of students, such as those participating in the iGniTe First Year Summer Launch Program, did not have the choice to attend an in-person FASET. All FASET sessions for summer first-year students are only being offered virtually.
“I hate that we have to do this process digitally because I’ve heard that FASET is much more enjoyable in person,” said Taylor Quinn, an incoming first-year CHBE. “I won’t be able to see where the buildings are where I’ll be taking classes, and therefore, I won’t have the chance to plan out my days beforehand. Organization and planning ahead are really important to me, so this layout comes with quite the disadvantage.”
To supplement virtual FASET sessions this summer, Tech has created the Whistle Webinar Series on Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This series will provide incoming students an extended opportunity to connect with campus offices to learn more about resources and programs available to students and to ask specific questions to various departments.
The cost for FASET, both the in-person and virtual sessions, is $115. Although it is not mandatory for incoming students to participate in FASET, attendance is highly recommended.
More information about FASET can be found at transitionprograms.gatech.edu/content/faset-orientation.