Pre-Orientation Retreat

• It’s super fun! Bonding, faith sharing, games, pool, hiking, talent show and more!

• You get to move into your residence hall three days before the rest of the incoming class. So, you get your choice of bed and avoid the hassle of moving in with 1,000 other students.

• The student leaders are enthusiastic, welcoming and some of the nicest people around. They truly care about the incoming students and want to support you in your transition to college. It is great to get to know some upper-class students and spend time with them during and after the retreat.

• The theme of the retreat is Belong, Believe, Become. The Pre-O retreat is a great way to feel a sense of belonging to the USD and University Ministry community at the start of your college career. Most students that participate on Pre-O would say that they met their best friends on this retreat and found a loving and inclusive community to belong to. This is a great way to settle into college and be able to explore what you believe in. We hope that this will be a great opportunity for you to discover the person you are called to become.

Both opportunities are amazing ways to get to know other students, interact with upperclassman student leaders, and transition to life at USD. Both programs take place right before Ole! Weekend begins.

The Pre-O Retreat is a program of University Ministry and led by student leaders that offer opportunities to reflect on your faith and spirituality as you transition to USD. Wildwood Camp and Conference Center in Ramona, CA is the location for the Pre-O retreat. Participants live in dormitory style accommodations w/ air conditioning and electricity. There are indoor meeting spaces, a pool and opportunities to explore outdoors. There are student talks, small group bonding, ice-breakers, outdoor games, worship music, hiking, a beautiful outdoor Mass under the stars and a talent show!

Pre-O adventure is a program of Outdoor Adventures and led by student guides that offers a variety of outdoor trips (backpacking, hiking & ropes course, kayaking, farming, or sailing). Participants live outdoors, sleep in tents, and eat meals prepared outdoors. Some call this roughing it, although we try to make living outdoors as comfortable as possible. This is a chance for bonding with a small group of students while exploring beautiful environments and our natural resources!

This year’s Pre-O Retreat takes place from August 28-30, 2019.

Wednesday, August 28

9:00-11:30am- Pre-O check-in and move-in (Check-in at the Ministry Center to get your room key)

12:30pm- Pre-O Participants and Family Pizza Party (Ministry Center Multipurpose Room)

1:30pm- Pre-O Participants depart USD on bus to Camp Wildwood Ranch

Retreat at Camp Wildwood Ranch: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Friday, August 30

2:00pm- Retreat closing and participants arrive back to USD. Participants are then free to meet up with families, sleep, organize their room, etc.

7:00pm- Dinner for participants provided by University Ministry (optional) and social/sporting even

The Pre-O Retreat is very popular and so we recommend signing up as soon as possible in order to ensure your spot. Registration begins on May 1 and is on a first come, first served basis. Registration will close on July 21 or when trip is filled .

The cost of the Pre-O Retreat is $195. Payment is by credit card and is due (in full) at the time of registration. Please review the cancellation and refund policy before registering. University Ministry offers scholarships to students receiving significant need-based financial aid. See financial aid information below. 

What’s included in the cost:

• Early move in to the residence halls
• Transportation to and from USD
• All meals provided and catered (Tuesday: lunch and dinner, Wednesday and Thursday: breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Cabin accommodations on retreat
• All activities and retreat supplies
• Trained staff and student leaders to facilitate activities

Yes! Partial scholarships are available to students receiving significant need-based financial aid. There are a limited number of scholarships which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If requesting financial aid, please contact University Ministry, at universityministry@sandiego.edu prior to registering for retreat.

Cancellations before or on July 20 will receive a full refund minus a $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations made between July 20-August 13 will receive a 50 percent refund.

After August 13, 2019 throughout the duration of the retreat, all fees are non-refundable. Please email University Ministry, at universityministry@sandiego.edu if you need to cancel your registration.

Yes! Our Pre-O Student Leadership Team is excited to talk with you and answer any questions you may have about the retreat, move-in or the transition to college. Please feel free to reach out to one of our dynamic Student Coordinators:

Carly Deale ‘20
San Jose, CA
cdeale@sandiego.edu

MaDonna Connors ‘21
Valencia, CA
madonnaconnors@sandiego.edu

Students from all faith traditions and backgrounds are most welcome and strongly encouraged to attend the Pre-O Retreat. We strive to provide an environment where all students feel comfortable exploring their faith and what they believe. The retreat is Christian-based and there will be student talks and music that reflect the Christian tradition.

During the retreat there is a beautiful Catholic Mass held under the stars. Student leaders will help explain elements of the Mass so that all students feel comfortable attending and participating.

It is our hope and expectations that students attending Pre-O will be active and engaged participants in small and large group activities. We ask that you come prepared to be open, authentic and flexible. We have high expectations of each of our leaders and participants to foster an environment of inclusivity, compassion and respect for all people, regardless of background. Bring your sense of humor and positive attitude and this is sure to be wonderful three-day start to your college career! 

Retreatants will stay in very simple dormitory-style cabins. The cabins have running water, electricity and air-conditioning. There are approximately 15 bunk beds per cabin. Mattresses are provided, but please remember to bring a sleeping bag, pillow and sheet. There are bathrooms and showers in the cabins, please bring your own towel. For a complete list of what to bring, please see the packing list.

San Diego is generally VERY hot during the month of August and September. In the past, temperatures at the Pre-O Retreat have ranged from 90-105 degrees. Although the buildings at the retreat site are air-conditioned, we spend a great deal of time outside. Please be prepared for hot temperatures and dress comfortably. Please bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and a refillable water bottle. For a complete list of what to bring, please see the packing list.

There is a good deal of walking on uneven, dirt paths in between the cabin, main meeting hall and the dining hall. Please notify University Ministry, at universityministry@sandiego.edu if we can help with any special accommodations that need to be made. We want this retreat to be accessible and open to all USD students. During free time there will be opportunities for hiking, swimming, and some outdoor games. However, each of these activities are optional for the retreatants.

Participants will be sitting on the floor frequently while listening to the student talks, small group time and throughout several other times on the retreat. We suggest bringing a small pillow or cushion to sit on to help soften the surface.

Here are the two general options:

1) Parents arrive with student and help them check-in/move-in before the Pre-O Retreat.

If you choose this option and are from out-of-town, we suggest arriving in San Diego on Tuesday, 8/27. Unfortunately, students can't move into their rooms until 8/28, but it's helpful to be at USD first thing on the morning of move-in. Most parents and their student stay in a nearby hotel on the night of Tuesday, 8/27. Move-in will occur from 9:00am-12:00pm on Wednesday, 8/28. Parents can help their student get unpacked and settled in their room. From 12:30-2:00pm on 8/28, University Ministry hosts a Welcome Pizza Party for the Pre-O participants and their families to share time all together. Students board the bus at 2:00pm to leave for the retreat. They arrive back to campus around 2:00pm on Friday, 8/30.

Loved ones who choose this option often elect to stay in San Diego for the two days their student is at the retreat and vacation or continue to get their students’ dorm room set-up. Students may start sleeping in their residence hall starting the evening of Friday, 8/30 after returning from the retreat. General move-in for the rest of the incoming class begins the next day, 8/31. Parents and students then participate in the Ole! Weekend activities which concludes with a wonderful Mass of Welcome and final blessing of parents over their student.

2) Student arrives to USD for Pre-O Retreat and parents arrive after retreat for Ole! Weekend.

If you choose this option, we suggest that the student flies into San Diego the morning of Wednesday, 8/28 in between 8:00am-11:00am. One of our University Ministry staff makes rounds picking up Pre-O students from the airport and transports them safely to campus. We have well-marked University of San Diego vans that we use to transport. If you choose this option, we ask that you email your flight information to University Ministry, at universityministry@sandiego.edu before August 12, 2019. The parents generally arrive on the afternoon/evening of Thursday, 8/29 or the morning of Friday, 8/30 in time for the Ole! Weekend activities.

If a student is flying into San Diego independently, we suggest arriving on Wednesday, 8/28 in between 8:00am-11:00am. One of our University Ministry staff will make rounds picking up Pre-O students from the airport and transport them safely to campus. We have well-marked University of San Diego vans that we use to transport. If you choose this option, we ask that you email your flight information to University Ministry, at universityministry@sandiego.edu before August 12, 2019.

We ask that international students coordinate their arrival with the International Center. Unfortunately, the dates of the Pre-O Retreat and International Student Orientation may overlap slightly. If this is the case, you will need to attend the International Student Orientation and then we invite you to consider attending University Ministry’s First-Year Retreat, which will take place on October 5-7, 2018.

We ask that international students coordinate their arrival with the International Center. Unfortunately, the dates of the Pre-O Retreat and International Student Orientation may overlap slightly. If this is the case, you will need to attend the International Student Orientation and then we invite you to consider attending University Ministry’s First-Year Retreat, which will take place on October 11-13, 2019.

Please feel free to contact us if we can be of any support in answering further questions. We truly look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to USD and the University Ministry community!

University Ministry
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 260-4735
universityministry@sandiego.edu

Pre-O Student Coordinators:

Carly Deale ‘20
San Jose, CA
cdeale@sandiego.edu

MaDonna Connors ‘21
Valencia, CA
madonnaconnors@sandiego.edu