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Orientation Overview - Summer 2024

New Student Orientation Experience - What to Expect

Welcome to UC Merced's Summer New Student Orientation! Here’s what you can expect:

1. Online Pre-Orientation

Begin your orientation experience with the online pre-orientation session, which takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. This session will provide valuable resources and information to prepare you for your in-person orientation.

2. Live Zoom Webinar: Financing Your University Education

  • Date and Time: Tuesday, June 11th, from 6:00-7:00 PM
  • Details: You will receive an email to your UC Merced email address with the Zoom webinar link and information during the week of June 3rd.

3. Orientation Day (In-Person)

During your in-person orientation, you and your guest(s) will hear from current students and staff about what it means to be a successful Bobcat. You'll receive valuable insights on making a smooth transition to UC Merced. The day will include:

  • Separate Programs: One for students and another for parents & guests.
  • Schedule: Check-in starts at 8:00 AM, and the day concludes with a farewell reception at 5:00 PM. Attendance for the entire duration is expected.
  • Parking: Included in your orientation fee and available in the Bellevue parking lot. Signage will help you locate designated orientation parking spaces.
  • Early Arrivals Programming: For those arriving between 6:30 AM-7:30 AM, we offer priority check-in, an earlier breakfast, and a Q&A opportunity with our Orientation team in the Commuter Lounge located in Sentinel Rock.
  • Meals: A light continental breakfast, lunch, and afternoon refreshments will be provided. Hydration stations will be available, so please bring a refillable water bottle.

Goals

  • Get Connected: Ensure students connect with a member of the UC Merced community.
  • Get Motivated: Encourage students to pursue their personal and academic goals.
  • Get Prepared: Help students feel ready to start their first semester successfully by being academically prepared and registered for their courses.

Learning Outcomes

After attending New Student Orientation 2024, students will be able to:

  1. Develop a meaningful connection with at least one UC Merced student, orientation leader, staff member, or faculty member by the end of orientation.
  2. Identify at least one campus resource they can utilize during their first year of college.
  3. Describe at least one personal or academic goal they aim to achieve by the end of their first semester.
  4. Articulate their reasons for choosing to attend UC Merced.
  5. Describe the beliefs, choices, and behaviors required to succeed at a research university.

Driving to UC Merced Campus

UC Merced, 5200 N. Lake Road, is about eight miles northeast of the city of Merced’s downtown area. Driving directions to the campus from the region’s major airports (San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose and Fresno) are available online.

Driving directions for travelers coming to campus by way of Highway 99 — the nearby state route that stretches nearly the entire length of California’s Central Valley — are:

DIRECTIONS FROM SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY 99

  1. Head southeast on CA-99 South.
  2. Take Exit 187B toward Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
  3. Turn left onto CA-59 North/Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
  4. Take the third right onto West 16th Street.
  5. Take the third left onto G Street.
  6. Turn right onto East Bellevue Road.
  7. Turn left at Lake Road.
  8. Arrive at main entrance to the UC Merced campus.

DIRECTIONS FROM NORTHBOUND HIGHWAY 99

  1. Head northwest on CA-99 North.
  2. Take exit 187A for G Street.
  3. Turn right onto G Street.
  4. Turn right onto East Bellevue Road.
  5. Turn left at Lake Road.
  6. Arrive at main entrance to the UC Merced campus.

UC Merced Map: Download here

If you have any questions, please contact us at orientation@ucmerced.edu