This year, the NYU Shanghai Office of Orientation and New Student program introduced the First Year Dialogue (FYD) seminar for freshmen. The program meets once a week for six weeks; each session is composed of twelve to thirteen students and one instructor, along with one or two co-instructors who were members of the 2016 orientation team. FYD is designed to help freshmen with the adjustment process; the sessions cover topics relevant to life at NYU Shanghai in addition to university life in general. Some topics include identity, life-management, and student involvement. FYD also serves as a platform for students to meet new people and make new friends who they may not have known otherwise. FYD prompts freshmen to engage in legitimate conversation. Through discussions and activities, the FYD leaders encourage students to open up and share their opinions. While the conversations are designed to build trust and aid in the transition process, many students, and leaders, find the sessions extremely awkward and uncomfortable. Many groups encounter the same problem; kids simply do not want to express themselves in a room full of “strangers.” “The group is awkward because I don’t think there is a high level of trust. People don’t want to talk about their lives and share their true feelings with a room of people they don’t know,” said freshman Amy Ernst. However, some groups find a way to combat the potentially uncomfortable conversations. “Even though the sessions can seem awkward, there are times when all the students connect over just having simple conversations with each other,” said freshman Matthew Cline. FYD’s goal is just that. Just because everyone in the group isn’t best friends, doesn’t mean they can’t understand one another. “FYD brings students closer in trusting others, not judging others, and instilling confidence in others,” said Global Leadership Fellow and FYD facilitator Jay Voigt. The program just wrapped up its third week and the reviews seem to be pretty mixed. Some students see it as a waste of time, their argument being “we meet people all orientation week,” while others really appreciate the opportunity to express themselves. While it will most likely become a longstanding orientation tradition at NYU Shanghai, it seems like student opinion will always vary. This article was written by Isabel Adler. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Shanghai