The article gives a description of a freshman orientation programme run by specially trained senior students called Group Leaders. Group Leaders can be equated with Peer Counsellors Freshmen are in the beginning often left to find their own way on campus with the result that many start their academic careers on the wrong footing with disastrous results Senior students who have already experienced these problems are in a good position to provide assistance to freshmen Sixty-six Group Leaders were trained with the emphasis on experiential learnlng The training period lasted two days (_+ 16 hours) Group Leaders were housed in University residences This contributed to the creation of group sohdarlty Each Group Leader was made responsible for about 15 freshmen The Group Leader had to structure his/her own orientation programme The different programmes had certain common elements, but for the rest were subject to the needs of the Group Leaders and the Project Leader. During the orientation week, dally meetings were held between the Group Leaders and the Project Leader During these meetings problems were cleared up and feedback was given about the running of the programme.
The Orientation programme proved to be very successful, judged by feedback received from staff members, Group Leaders and Freshmen Group Leaders had to submit a report at the end of Orientation Week and Freshmen completed an Orientation Week Evaluation Questionnaire. The data received by means of the questionnaire indicated that the majority of the Freshmen regarded the programme as useful and the Group Leaders as effective in what they did It was concluded that this type of orientation programme could be effectively implemented in a developing, Third World University setting.