Who has gone and what was your opinion? It seems this is for parents only. Scheduled at 2.5 hours with this suggested agenda.
Welcome
Family Transitions
Cal Parents Introduction (presented by Cal Parents (link is external))
Golden Bear Orientation Overview & Introduction of Presenters (presented by New Student Services)
Campus Safety (presented by UCPD)
Academic Success (presented by the Student Learning Center [SLC]
Health and Wellness (presented by University Health Services [UHS]
“What is Residential Education?” (presented by Residential Life)
Financial Aid and Scholarships (presented by the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office)
“Understanding Billing & Payments” (presented by University Billing and Cal Student Central)
I think 2.5 hours of your time is worth it as you launch your child into an extremely exciting and scary portion of their lives at a very academically challenging institution (especially if this is your first or only). Under the old CalSO system, parents did several days of orientation. I found it to be informative and a good way to bond and do a little “sunrise, sunset” with other parents
As mentioned on the other thread, some of the sessions are worth going to. The last two things on the agenda, definitely there are things that were new to me. Setting up parent communication lines with CalCentral and setting up a refund account to student is a bit tricky so it’s worth it to find out these things in advance. The Tuesday there will be a mass of humanity around the various halls in Sproul Plaza and at all the dorms, parking will be a complete mess. Monday is a bit more serene. If there’s a way for you to get a move in date on Monday instead of Tuesday I would recommend it. You would have to pay for one extra night but it might be worth it.