PIma Students holding each others wrists to form a shape of a 6 Pointed star

9 Things to Know about Connect U Orientation

You've completed your application to Pima, and you’re ready to start your first year at the College. A lot of questions might be running through your mind: how do I register for classes? How can I connect with older Pima students to help me navigate my first year? Where can I get all my questions answered?

Or maybe just: Now what?

That’s where Connect U Orientation (CUO) comes in.

Connect U Orientation is a live or online orientation where you will learn how to navigate Pima’s technology, programs, resources and campuses. You’ll also meet new and current Pima students who can answer questions every step of the way. And, attending CUO lifts your registration hold, meaning you will be able to register for classes after you successfully complete your orientation session.

Registration for CUO is now open. Sessions are available from July 19th through August 18th.

To help you prepare for orientation, we’ve put together the 9 things you should know about CUO so that you can learn more about orientation and how your session will help you get connected at Pima.

#1: Connect U Orientation (CUO) is led by First Year Experience (FYE) peer mentors who have been where you are.

At Connect U Orientation, you will have the support of peer mentors who are current Pima students trained to help you each step of the way. Peer mentors know what it’s like to be a first year student and are here to answer any questions or concerns you have.

Peer mentors will teach the live CUO sessions and lead discussion boards for the online CUO on D2L. They also organize programs to help you get started at Pima and create content for our social media accounts to keep you up-to-date on the latest Pima events and resources.

ConnectU Students working together on a project, pose for a selfie

#2: Meet other new students and make new friends before your classes even begin.

CUO is a great opportunity to get together with other students like you who are new to Pima. CUO hosts activities to help you build connections and make new friends so that once the semester begins, you already know some friendly faces who you can connect with around campus, in virtual classes and at college-wide events.

#3: Get answers BEFORE your semester starts.

As you approach the start of Fall semester, a lot of questions may be running through your mind: how do I build my schedule? How can I talk to an advisor? Where can I find information about financial aid and scholarships?

CUO is designed to help you get your questions answered. Peer mentors are here to share tips about what to do (and what not to do!). You will also avoid long wait times to get your questions about Pima answered by hearing from peer mentors right during orientation.

If you have additional questions about what happens at CUO, check out our FAQ page.

#4: Save yourself time and effort.

As a new student, you don’t know what you don’t know. While you might be able to figure things out through trial and error during your first year at Pima, our mentors will attest that that method takes a while and makes your college experience way harder than necessary. CUO is your metaphorical “easy” button when it comes to learning key tips as a new student at Pima.

A live CUO session (offered on-campus or virtually via Zoom) is 4.5 hours long. Or, the online CUO option via D2L will take you approximately 1.5 hours to complete. During these sessions, you will be able to ask questions in real time and get access to resources you will use in your first year at Pima and beyond.

Live orientation sessions start July 19th and run through August 18th. Find more information about how to register for your session at our Connect U orientation page.

#5: Get your orientation hold lifted so that you can register for classes.

The college experience will give you many opportunities to get involved, meet new people and grow as an individual. But, the main reason you are likely attending Pima is to take classes and make progress on your education.

If you’re a new student, you have an orientation hold on your account which must be lifted before you can register for classes. How do you lift that hold? You guessed it: by completing Connect U Orientation.

It’s a good idea to register for your live orientation session or get started on your online orientation as soon as you can to avoid issues when you’re ready to register for classes.

#6: Earn a free shirt and other Pima goodies.

Regardless of how you completed Connect U Orientation (on-campus, virtually or online) every participant can receive a free Pima shirt which we will mail to you. More details about how to earn this shirt will be shared during your CUO session.

If you choose to complete Connect U orientation through a live session (on-campus or virtually via zoom) then you will have opportunities to win some extra Pima prizes which will help you show your school spirit!

#7: Once you complete CUO, meet with your FAM.

Once you complete Connect U Orientation, you will be added into a First Year Active Mentor (FAM) group led by a FYE Peer Mentor who will check in on you via email and invite you to meetings throughout your first semester at Pima.

FAM groups extend the mentoring relationship beyond CUO. Your FYE Peer Mentor can share tips, be a listening ear, foster fun relationships and provide guidance during your first year at Pima.

Note: Our mentors are not academic advisors, and these meetings are not registration sessions. To get in touch with academic advising, sign-up for a call with an advisor.

#8: Pima’s FYE Program offers several events to support you during your first year at Pima.

Connect U Orientation isn’t the only part of Pima’s First Year Experience program. Pima offers 6 additional programs that can help you get connected with the College and access the support you need to thrive during your first year at Pima.

Pima’s other First Year Experience programs are:

New Student Welcome
Career Cafe
Popcorn with a Program
The Passport Program
Faces of First Year
The Adulting Series

For more details about our events, check out our First Year Experience page.

#9: Follow us on social media to stay up to date on what’s happening at Pima year round.

A great way to get connected with Pima’s First Year Experience program is through our social media. The FYE Peer Mentors post content daily that is relevant to you, like:

Updates about upcoming FYE events (including Connect U Orientation)
College-wide updates and announcements
Scholarship & volunteer opportunities, plus much more

Register for your Orientation Session Today

Ready to start your first year at Pima? Register for an orientation session today to get your class registration hold lifted and your questions answered.

Live orientation sessions start July 19th and run through August 18th. You can also check out our FAQ page for more information about Connect U Orientation and the first year experience programs.

When you’ve completed orientation and you’re ready to register for classes, you’ll find Pima offers classes in different formats to suit your learning style and schedule. Learn more about the differences between in-person, virtual and online classes before making a decision on what type of classes are the right fit for you.