Oakland University is offering a new student program to help freshmen meet the challenges of their first year of college.

The program — Freshman OUtlook — delivers weekly tips, advice and resource links right to the Oakland e-mail addresses of each student enrolled in the program. This interactive, Web-based program is offered at no cost to students making the transition from high school to college.

Freshman OUtlook participants will receive 15 brief messages each semester for a total of 30 during the academic year to help them succeed at Oakland University.

Some topics include:

• ways to improve your study skills
• advice on choosing a career
• managing your finances
• getting involved in campus activities
• secrets for effective time management

Students who log on to all 15 messages during a semester will qualify for the $250 American Express gift checks that are being given away. Two will be given away at the end of fall semester and two at the end of winter semester.

“This is an innovative program that will help first-year students make the transition from high school to college by introducing them to academic resources, campus facilities and OU traditions,” said Dawn Aubry, director of New Student Programs. “Freshman OUtlook is a great way to address topics such as time management, communication, critical thinking, values and diversity. Students who participate will surely benefit.”

Within the next few weeks, OU freshmen will receive an invitation, via their Oakland e-mail account, to register for Freshman OUtlook. All they need to do to register is go to the link provided in the e-mail and follow the simple instructions. Once they register, they will begin to benefit from the timely advice and tips the program offers.

A supplemental program also is being offered to freshmen parents to help them better understand their son or daughter’s challenging first year. The parent program — Parent OUtlook — covers topics similar to the student program.

Some Parent OUtlook topics include:

• first-year support tips
• helpful campus resources
• paying for college
• developmental changes

Freshman OUtlook and Parent OUtlook help improve customer relations and enhance the university’s ability to deliver academic information and services to students and their parents.

"Trying to parent a new freshman can be as confusing as parenting a newborn,” said Mary Beth Snyder, vice president for student affairs. “We designed Parent OUtlook to pass along tips and information that coincide with what is going on at the time in the student's life at the university. The whole idea is to give parents a little extra help in dealing with the inevitable questions that come up in the first year of a college student."

Parents of each OU freshman currently are being called, inviting them to join Parent OUtlook. More than 900 parents have registered so far, Snyder said.

If parents don’t have an e-mail account but would like to participate in the program, they can open an e-mail account with a free service, such as Hotmail or Yahoo. If they don’t have access to a computer at home or work, they are encouraged to try their local public library.

One parent who has read all 15 messages will be randomly selected each semester to receive a $250 American Express gift check.

Freshman OUtlook and Parent OUtlook is being offered as a partnership between many areas on campus, spearheaded by Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.

For more information about either program, contact the Office of New Student Programs at (248) 370-3260 or e-mail nsp@oakland.edu.