From getting around campus to living in residence halls, hundreds of incoming West Virginia University students and their parents will soon be learning the ropes of Mountaineer life.

New Student Orientation begins next week with the University welcoming more than 4,000 incoming freshmen, transfer students and nontraditional students to campus.

During one-day and day-and-a-half orientation programs, students will learn about all aspects of University life, meet WVU faculty, register for fall classes, take a tour of campus and get their pictures taken for their Mountaineer Cards (student ID).

While not mandatory, orientation helps acclimate students to campus and highlights student support services, said Regan Bruni, new student orientation coordinator.

Knowing where to go, what help is available and meeting your adviser can really help you,she said.We have created an activity-packed experience to ensure new students feel welcome and get started on the right foot at WVU .

For those who live far from campus or those visiting WVU for the first time, the extended program offers more time on campus, she added.

New students and their parents will not only sample activities from WVUp All Night, the Universitys popular weekend alternative program, but also have the option to experiencedorm lifewhile staying overnight at the Evansdale Residential Complex.

Standard orientation sessions will be Wednesday, June 9; Thursday, June 10; Thursday, June 17; Friday, June 18; Thursday, June 24; and Friday, June 25. There will also be a standard program in August for students who cannot attend in June.

Extended sessions will be Monday-Tuesday, June 14-15; Tuesday-Wednesday, June 15-16; and Monday-Tuesday, June 21-22. An additional extended session is Monday-Tuesday, June 7-8, for honors students.

WVU also offers orientation sessions for nontraditional and transfer students. Those sessions will be Friday, June 11, and Tuesday, Aug. 17.

Students who have not already registered for orientation are encouraged to do so. Session sizes are limited and are filling quickly.

For more information, go tohttp://www.arc.wvu.edu/NSS/orientation/index.html.