One of the obstacles we have found with students engaging on campus is that Generation Z students often do not know how to socially interact with their peers in person, break the ice, or even start conversations. After realizing that a significant majority of our incoming students struggle with networking and making friends, we decided to help our incoming students transition from an online world to a face-to-face environment. During our Fall Welcome Week, we break our students into small groups and teach them how to properly shake hands, make eye contact, break the ice, keep conversations going, and ask interesting questions. While this can be awkward for many students, we have heard from enough of them to know that this is helpful for them and greatly appreciated.
