Overnight Experience

The Overnight Experience is a chance to spend the night in residence with other incoming first year students. Think of it like a night of “summer camp” that provides you with an introduction to campus life, a chance to meet with other incoming first-year students, and an opportunity to learn about what it’s like to participate in academics here at Western.  

The Overnight Experience involves a number of activities that will offer you the chance to build friendships and connect with Western's campus and traditions prior to the start of your first year.  

The weekend will be led by experienced student leaders who will facilitate your group connections for the weekend. They will spend time helping you build new friendships that will carry you through your first year and beyond. 

Research shows that incoming students who make an early connection with staff and resources are more likely to succeed in their first year of study. You will have a chance to learn about the different resources and opportunities that will help make your academic journey successful.  

Faculty Fridays and the Overnight Experience are both programs offered by Western Launch. We encourage students and their parents/guardians registered for a Faculty Friday event on July 19th or August 9th to also register for the Overnight Experience event occurring the same day, as the programs will flow together. However, you are not required to attend Faculty Friday to attend the overnight experience, and students participating in Faculty Friday are not automatically guaranteed a spot in the overnight experience. Capacity is limited for both programs and you must register for them separately.   

The overnight experience provides parents and guardians with the opportunity to learn about the student experience at Western, gain a deeper understanding of how they can best support their student throughout their university experience, and form connections with other parents of incoming students.  

Our student leaders and staff will be available to guide you from your Faculty Friday send-off to the Overnight Experience at Ontario Hall.  

The experience consists of sessions centered around various topics and facilitated by Western students and/or faculty and staff. Note that the programs offered to students will differ from those offered to parents/guardians; you will not be together for most of the event. Be prepared to walk across the campus. If you require assistance to make the program accessible for you, please reach out us at launch@uwo.ca. 

Registration in Ontario Hall is from 4:30pm to 6:30pm on Friday, with the overnight program concluding at approximately 3:30pm on Saturday. 

Students 

• Welcome and Expectations
• Mock Floor Meeting 
• Mock Roommate Agreement 
• Evening programming (Laser Tag, Karaoke, Board Games, etc.) 
• Campus tour 
• Residence/Off-Campus living presentation 
• Student Panel 
• Meals provided: Friday Dinner, Saturday Breakfast and Lunch 

Parents/Guardians 

• Fireside Chat with Residence Staff and Student Experience Staff 
• Optional Transition Talk or Campus Tour 
• Residence/Off-Campus living presentation 
• Student Panel 
• Meals provided: Friday Dinner, Saturday Breakfast (only available to guests staying overnight) and Saturday Lunch 

The overnight experience is a free program for students and their parents/guardians. Please note that capacity is limited, and early registration is encouraged. If your plans change and you can no longer attend, please be sure to cancel your registration to open your spot to others.

Students will be staying in Ontario Hall, one of our first-year student residence buildings. Students will be housed in double bedrooms, and should anticipate sharing a bedroom with one other student, and a washroom with up to three other students. If you have any questions or concerns about student accommodations, please email launch@uwo.ca. 

Parents and guardians will be staying in Perth Hall, one of our first-year student residence buildings. Each parent/guardian will have their own lockable bedroom, and will share a bathroom with one other parent/guardian.  

Each guest will have a single bed with bedding provided. Bathrooms include hand soap and essential amenities. 

The Overnight Experience is a substance-free event, and the consumption of alcohol and drugs, including cannabis products, is prohibited. 

Yes, students are expected to remain in Ontario Hall for evening programming unless there's an extenuating circumstance, in which case, check-out at the residence front desk is required. 

We encourage you to arrange your own accommodations if that would be preferred – please be sure to indicate your preference in your registration. Capacity for the overnight stay is limited, so please refrain from registering for a room in residence if you do not plan to use it.  

We encourage all students in this program to take advantage of the free accommodations provided in Ontario Hall, as it mirrors the experience of living in a first-year residence. However, if you have an extenuating circumstance that prevents you from being able to stay overnight, please email us at launch@uwo.ca.

• Friday night dinner (Ontario Hall) 
• Saturday morning breakfast (Perth Hall – only available to parents/guardians who are staying overnight in residence) 
• Saturday afternoon lunch   

Yes, we ask participants to indicate dietary restrictions on the registration form so that we can accommodate your needs. If you have already submitted your registration form, please email launch@uwo.ca with your first and last name, and dietary restrictions. 

Space on each day of the program is limited, so if you need to change your date, you should make that request as soon as possible. Please email launch@uwo.ca with your name, original registered date, and the new date that you would like to attend. 

Please email launch@uwo.ca with your name and date of registration to cancel your attendance at least 24 hours in advance. 

Each student can bring up to 2 parents/guardians. Capacity is limited, and on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

This program is designed to cater to incoming students and their parents and guardians. However, if extenuating circumstances require that you bring a guest that is not your parent/guardian, this can be accommodated. All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult guest at all times. 

Student programming will be separate from parent/guardian programming on Friday night, aside from dinner. Parents/guardians will be with their students on Saturday, aside from during breakfast. Parents will have the option to attend a transition talk during the campus tour if they would like.  

Yes. Please drop your student off at the Ontario Hall front doors. 

Each student is permitted to register up to 2 parents/guardians, depending on capacity. 

No. Parents and guardians will be staying overnight in Perth Hall. Students will be staying overnight in Ontario Hall. 

We do not anticipate campus eateries being open. We will be offering dinner on Friday evening as well as breakfast and lunch on Saturday. 

A campus tour is included on the Saturday morning of the overnight experience; however, a tour of the Residences is not available through the Western Launch program. Please view the virtual residence tours here. 

Under Western's Pets and Therapy Animals on Campus Policy, pets are not permitted in Western buildings. Animals approved as service/therapy animals are permitted. 

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