The Middle Tennessee State University summer orientation for the new freshman class begins this week as major scholarship recipients kick off the first of 10 sessions scheduled through the end of July.

Along with parents and family members, a capacity of more than 325 students arrive on campus Thursday, May 21, for the first of the two-day CUSTOMS orientation process to acclimate them to campus.

In this 2013 file photo, CUSTOMS student orientation assistants use signs to gather new students before heading to their next destination on the agenda. (MTSU file photo by Randy Weiler)

Coordinated by the Office of New Students and Family Programs, CUSTOMS shows freshmen the ropes of being an MTSU student. It helps new undergraduate students make the transition into the university; it prepares them for educational opportunities; and it propels them into the intellectual, cultural and social climate of the university.

To learn more about CUSTOMS , dates for the 10 sessions and to register for a future session in June or July, visit www.mtsu.edu/customs. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’re excited about a new format allowing for advising and registration to take place simultaneously,” said director Gina Poff.

Throughout all sessions, the first day of CUSTOMS will be “what I consider how to be a successful student on campus,” Poff said. “It will be the functions of the university: how to be involved, how to register, where to park and where to eat.”

Day Two will be about how to be a successful student academically and incorporate the advising and registration aspects, she added.

Scholarship recipients and their families were quick to respond and register for the first session.

“We’ve just completed a spring semester and held commencement,” Poff said. “We’re geared up for our new students. It’s all hands on deck (for MTSU personnel) for everybody coming for CUSTOMS, to have them prepared by August.”

Students are required to attend every CUSTOMS activity and register for classes at the end of the session.

To find parking and building locations, a printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParking14-15.

For more information, visit the CUSTOMS website or call 615-898-5533. New Student and Family Programs is located in Keathley University Center Room 326.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)