The Common Experience
Your educational journey at Bucknell will begin with the Common Experience — a series of reflective prompts, short assignments, small group conversations and panel discussions designed to help you prepare for and thrive during the transition to Bucknell. It is a way for you to explore, make connections and experience the vibrant community you are joining. We want the Common Experience to resonate throughout your first year and beyond. During New Student Orientation, you will discuss your reflections in small groups with peers and student leaders. Students will also engage with a panel of faculty to learn about academic expectations and how to thrive in a classroom community. Throughout the fall semester, you will meet with your faculty or staff facilitator for additional connection and processing opportunities.
The Common Experience welcomes students into the Bucknell community of scholarship and exploration. It provides students with their first opportunity to engage in conversations and reflections with classmates and receive feedback from faculty and staff. The prompts and discussions will introduce students to the process of examining a topic through different lenses and varied perspectives — a hallmark of a Bucknell education.
Pathways ePortfolio
Your Pathways program ePortfolio is a vital component of the Common Experience. Set up your Pathways program ePortfolio and complete your first assignment; over the summer and into the fall semester, you will receive monthly prompts to complete as well as feedback from your faculty or staff facilitator. Themes to expect include success in college, belonging and community at Bucknell, being your authentic self, understanding Bucknell's educational goals and exploring campus and community resources. Your ePortfolio is a safe and private space to document your accomplishments, reflect on your choices and understand your priorities and goals; if you choose, you can share your ePortfolio reflections with advisers, mentors, coaches and employers.
To get started, log in to Digication, set up your ePortfolio, fill out your About Me page and complete the first assignment. You will receive an email each month with a reminder about the next assignment. If you need more help, the introductory checklist and slides linked on the Pathways program webpage are excellent resources and contain step-by-step instructions for logging in and completing your first assignment. If you get stuck or have technical questions, please email Adrienne Jensen-Doray, the director of first-year experience, at orientation@bucknell.edu.
Group Meetings & Discussions
At least once during the fall semester you will meet in-person with your Common Experience group — the other first-year students who share the same faculty/staff facilitator. Your facilitator will lead your group through activities to help you get to know your group and prompt conversations about the Pathways portfolio themes. You'll build connections with your peers and learn more about their experiences and approaches to adjusting to a collegiate environment — in and out of the classroom.
The entire first-year class will attend a faculty panel about classroom expectations during New Student Orientation. This session will include information about reading, taking notes, group discussions and group work across disciplines. After the panel, students will debrief with their first-year hallmates, Orientation Assistants, Resident Advisors and Junior Fellows (if in a Residential College); these student leaders will impart their advice and tips for a successful transition to the college-level classroom, lab and studio.
Questions? Contact orientation@bucknell.edu