Planning Your First Days as a Don

It all starts with the GO Team.

Your GO Team orientation leaders are the key to you having the best possible WOW. They’ll share their own USF experiences, lead small groups, guide adventures through San Francisco, explain USF traditions, and give insider tips and tricks to life on the Hilltop.

Bree Edmonds ’27, a kinesiology major and neuroscience and psychology minor, a GO Team member since 2024, said, “I decided to join because I experienced firsthand the impact that orientation leaders have on new students. Creating connections during a pivotal time in students' lives is what makes GO Team so special.” Fellow Go Team leader Sinqua Walls ’28, also a kinesiology major, agreed. “I joined because I wanted to help new and incoming students feel right at home here in San Francisco. GO Team is a community that welcomes all; it’s a place of joy and the light of USF’s campus.”

If You’re a First-Year Don, Check Out Your Orientation Schedule

Get familiar with the campus layout, learn about all the services available to you, visit the centers that interest you, sign up for group adventures, and join in on first-year traditions. It’s all mapped out on the First-Year Student Orientation Schedule webpage.

First-Year Families Have Their Own Orientation Schedule

We know that new students aren’t the only people experiencing transitions. So we have a separate program and schedule for their parents and families, full of activities and events to familiarize you with the Hilltop and Dons life.

Transfer Families Have Their Own Orientation Schedule, Too

If your student is transferring to USF, you’ll find everything you need to best support your new Don. Join the Transfer Family Orientation events to learn about the resources and services specifically available to transfer students.