What to Expect at Orientation

The complete schedule for the day will be distributed at check-in on the day of Orientation. You can view a past schedule sample below, however this sample schedule is intended to be a guide only and may not reflect the full Orientation program.

• Sample First Year Orientation schedule
• Sample Transfer Orientation schedule

If more than one session is offered for your Orientation Program, you are able to make one session change before the stated deadline.  A $25 late change fee will be assessed for all registrations received after the deadline.  Any changes beyond the one free session change, regardless of the date, will incur a $25 fee.  The program fee (and change/cancellation and late fee, when applicable) will be charged to each student’s account and will appear on the August billing statement.

If you have Parents registered for Orientation: If you make a change to the date of your First Year Orientation session, any family members who are signed up for a corresponding Parent and Family Orientation session will need to log back into the registration system to change their session date.  They will NOT be automatically moved into the new session. 

All first year and transfer students will be part of a small group of students with an Orientation Leader (OL) as a guide.  Orientation Leaders are current Warren College students that assist incoming students with their transition to Warren College and the UC San Diego campus. Your OL will answer many of the questions that you have about Warren College and UC San Diego and also will get you acquainted with other new students.

Over the summer, OLs will start sending e-mails to the students assigned to their group and will share important Orientation related and Warren College information with you.  They will also help to answer any questions that you have about your transition to Warren College, on and off-campus housing information, transportation, dining, and any of the other million questions that may arise.  They are current students so they know the ins and outs and where to find valuable resources.

Dress for Orientation is casual. We recommend that all participants wear comfortable walking shoes as you may be required to travel to various locations across campus. Dress in layers, you will be spending time both indoors and outside.  The weather in southern California can fluctuate and rooms are air-conditioned but may feel warmer or cooler depending on the number of people and your personal temperature preference.  You may also want to consider wearing sunscreen for the times when you are outdoors.

For your personal comfort, you may want to consider bringing a refillable water bottle and a light snack for during the day.  We discourage bringing personal items to the Orientation program and are not responsible for lost items.

Meals are provided when they fall within the scheduled hours of the Orientation program.  All Orientation meals are served conference style. For information on available on-campus dining options outside of Orientation visit the Housing, Dining and Hospitality and Price Center websites.

If you need accommodations due to a dietary preference, food allergy and/or disability, make your request at least 2 weeks in advance of the Orientation date. This will allow us adequate time to make best efforts at securing accommodations. You can make accommodation requests via the registration system or by contacting our office at wow@ucsd.edu.

Students with a documented disability who will need academic and/or non-academic (housing, dining) accommodations once you enroll in classes, must register with the Office for Students with Disabilities.  Intake appointments can be made by calling 858.534.4382 or emailing osd@ucsd.edu.  More information may be found at http://disabilities.ucsd.edu. 

How to submit your ID Photo:

Option 1:  submit a photo online prior to July 1 to minimize wait times and ensure that your card is available for pick up when you arrive on campus.

Option 2:  visit the Campus Cards office in the Student Business Services (map) to have your photo taken when you arrive on campus in the fall.

For detailed information on how to submit your photo, visit the Campus Cards website beginning in mid-May.

When to pick up your Triton Card:

If you have submitted your photo online:

• On-Campus Residents:  your card will be provided to you at your scheduled move-in. Follow all move-in instructions provided to you by Residential Life.
• Commuting Students:  pick up your Triton Card from the Campus Cards Office in Student Business Services (map) any time after September 15 to pick up your card. At the start of Fall Quarter, signs will be posted to direct you.

If you have NOT submitted your photo online:

• You will be required to stand in line at the Campus Cards Office in Student Business Services (map) to have your photo taken and ID produced when the quarter begins.

No.  The Orientation programs are designed to be only for incoming students.  Because of program requirements and space limitations no additional guests will be permitted to attend along with students. 

Warren College offers an optional Parent and Family Orientation Program for the parents and family members of incoming first year students. This is a separate program that is held on the same day as the First Year Orientation program.  Parents and guardians must register for the Parent and Family Orientation Program through a separate process.  During the student registration process students will be asked to invite up to two individuals by submitting an email address.  Submitting an email address does NOT register a parent or family member for the program.  For more information, visit the Parent and Family Orientation Program website.

No, the First Year and Parent and Family Orientation Programs are two separate programs. The sessions run concurrently but participants do not have an opportunity to meet until after both sessions are over.  Orientation participants are encouraged to make sure they have everything that they will need for the day prior to checking in for their respective programs.

The First Year Orientation Program is a comprehensive program designed to help incoming students meet other new Warren students, discover their campus support network, and successfully transition to life at UC San Diego. The New Student Orientation program is for students only.  The Parent and Family Orientation Program allows the parents and family members of incoming first year students to learn about Warren College and UC San Diego resources and have an opportunity to interact with Warren staff and departmental representatives.

Warren College has students that are living in many different areas of campus.  All students with a housing contract will receive information directly from their housing or Residential Life office detailing room assignments and plans for move-in.  For answers to general questions visit the FAQ page of the Housing and Dining website.

For more information on the most common housing areas for Warren students please select the appropriate website:

• Warren College Residential Life
• The Village
• International House

Warren College and UCSD have many students who commute to campus for classes and to participate in co-curricular activities.  The UCSD website has a variety of options for commuting to campus, including options for public and personal transportation.  The Commuter Student Services office has a variety of resources available to assist commuter students with everything from finding housing, to finding the perfect study spot.

There are also several student organizations dedicated to providing activities and creating connections for commuters.  The Warren Transfer and Commuter Commission (WTCC), a commission of the Warren College Student Council (WCSC) is dedicated to addressing the unique needs of transfer and commuter students.  For more information on available resources visit the Warren College Transfer and Commuter Student Life website.

It depends upon your personal circumstances.  In general, no incoming students do not need a car on campus or in the La Jolla/San Diego area. All undergraduate students are eligible for a Triton U-Pass that gives you unlimited access to regional transit routes during fall, winter and spring quarters. In addition to U-Pass, students can take advantage of UC San Diego’s alternative transportation programs.

Annual or quarterly S parking permits are not available for purchase by first year students, however, a limited number of exceptions will be allowed for students with extenuating circumstances (e.g., medical/disability, family/child care, etc.). 

We encourage your to learn more about first-year transportation options on the Transportation Services website.