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Each hall on campus has instituted a yearlong First Year Experience program that makes the transition process into university and hall life a smooth one for our first year students. The program is also open to commuting students and includes programs that inculcate values that are fundamental in various arenas of life. Some activities include field trips, rap sessions, presentations, drama, song, and speech productions that compel you to exercise and display your innate talents and gifts.
The First Year Experience is a priceless one and at the end of the school year it gets better; over fifty are chosen for an all expense paid trip to the Eastern Caribbean ! Not taking my word for it? Maybe this will convince you.
We never thought that the benefits of attending and participating in FYE meetings would have been so immense. We were selected to join a contingent of fifty-eight first year students to visit and tour the UWI St. Augustine and Cave Hill campuses, Trinidad and Barbados respectively, compliments of our Halls and University. We interacted with the staff and guild of the two campuses. The trip to both islands was like a dream come through. Fantastic and enlightening!
We visited a wide range of places of interest, which included the Pitch Lake, Carnival Institute (T&T), Parliament of Barbados, Oistens, galleries, and museums. The new knowledge obtained is irreplaceable and it will be cherished. We learned so much, while interacting with the cultures of both Trinidad and Barbados, practicing various dances, trying out foods like " bake and shark" and 'buss-up-shut in Trinidad and in Barbados "flying fish" and "marlin". In addition, we had the opportunity of sharing an evening at the cinema with the Bajans to view the production "After Mrs. Rochester" featuring the University players of UWI, Mona Campus.
In summary, the trip was enriching and unforgettable, one we crave to relive and would not trade it for anything. The FYE programme is extremely imperative and gratifying. One that will not only leave marks but irreplaceable stains conducive to your holistic development. So get on board and consider it a privilege to be a part of.
Contributed By: By Marilyn Welsh, Roxanne Willie and Dania Daley
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