Cristina Foglietta
With the spring semester just starting, students around campus may look stressed out and overwhelmed. Imagine how you would feel if you just arrived at Post this semester. Then, almost everything on campus would be unknown. Hundreds of new students enroll at Post each semester, embarking on an unfamiliar journey.
Denise Seigel, Director of Transfer Admissions, stated that there are more than 200 transfer students enrolled for the first time this semester from both local and international locations.
“The largest cohort of students came from Nassau and Suffolk County Community Colleges,” stated Seigel.
There are transfers from various four-year universities as well, including the University of Rhode Island, Boston University, SUNY Binghamton, Stony Brook University, Molloy College and St. Johns Univeristy. The admissions criteria for the spring are the same as the fall semester, added Seigel.
Some students have just started college this semester. Post’s Director of Freshmen Admissions David Follick confirmed that there are 15 new domestic freshmen enrolled for the spring semester. Follick said there are fewer new freshmen because more enroll in September. “New freshmen who are starting now usually have taken a semester off to work or travel,” said Follick.
Post has a diverse community with students from around the world. “In all, 17 countries are represented to date, bringing the total campus representation to 45 different countries,” said Ian Wright, Director for International Admissions.
Wright confirmed that Post enrolled 235 new international students this semester, which is an increase from last spring, when 190 enrolled. “LIU Post has experienced a spike in enrollment among students from around the globe, and as the spring semester gets underway, we welcomed students from several countries including, China, Cuba, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Russia and Thailand,” explained Jessica Hayes, Assistant Provost for International Student Services.
International students who register in the spring semester go through a three-day orientation process. International Orientation started on Saturday, January 14th, when the students were welcomed in the Chapel by orientation leaders who helped them move into their dorm rooms. Alexandra Pospelova, a freshman Photography major, is an Orientation Leader from Russia. Pospelova said, “Being an Orientation Leader is fun. I enjoy meeting new people and making them feel comfortable and confident in their new surroundings.” Orientation continued on Sunday, January 15th, with a tour of the campus and a trip to the Broadway Mall for college essentials, such as bedding and notebooks. The last day of International Orientation, January 16th, was at Kumble Hall, so the students were able to register for classes.
None of the international students were allowed to register for class until January 16th, the day before the spring semester began. These students must be living on campus to register with their academic advisers. The entire afternoon portion of orientation was dedicated to this task. International students were given time to register from 12:00 to 7:00 p.m. to register. The office was completely filled with students anxiously waiting to speak an adviser. Shintaro Uraga, a senior International Business major, is a new transfer student from Japan who waited for two hours. However, many students waited there longer. Mimi Montgomery, a new student from Sweden majoring in Journalism, waited six hours to talk with an advisor to register for her classes.
Uraga said he was both excited and nervous to be spending his last semester of college in New York. When asked why she picked Post above other American universities, Montgomery said, “I have friends and family members who went to school here who recommended it to me.” Montgomery said she expects “a great experience and a great Journalism education” from Post.
So, if stress and troubles fill your mind as you join Post as a new student this spring, remember you can overcome it. Whether you are starting or continuing your journey, you can succeed if you put in time and effort.
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