Week of Welcome kicks off this weekend with first-year move-in, followed by an entire week of over 260 events and workshops to welcome Yellow Jackets back to campus.
Week of Welcome kicks off this weekend with first-year move-in, followed by an entire week of over 260 events and workshops to welcome Yellow Jackets back to campus.
Here’s a preview of some of the events happening during the week. For the full event list, download the Georgia Tech Guidebook App in the Apple or Google Play Store, or explore the 2021 Week of Welcome Guidebook on your desktop.
Sunday, August 15
Green Good(buys) is a no-cost market at the Kendeda Building from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. All items, which will be free to any student, were collected during last spring’s move-out, cleaned, and brought to Kendeda specifically for this event. Find something useful and reduce the overall materials purchased and thrown away in our residence halls each year.
First-years can kick off Week of Welcome and the fall 2021 semester at Rock, Ramble, and Roll! Come to the Student Center's Exhibition Hall from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner before heading over to Tech Green for inflatables, games, and so much more. Hosted by the Student Center, Tech Dining, and Housing and Residence Life, Rock, Ramble, and Roll is the perfect opportunity to jump-start your first college semester, have some fun, and make new friends. This event is open to first-year students only.
Monday, August 16
Playfair brings new students together for the first time for the ultimate icebreaker. Get to know your fellow classmates and make connections for first-years on August 16 and for second-year and transfer students on August 19 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on the CRC Stamps Field.
We now have a powerful new tool in the fight against the coronavirus. COVID-19 vaccines will be available at McCamish Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for those who are eligible. Visit mytest.gatech.edu to schedule an appointment. Review these instructions to prepare for your vaccination.
Catch a ride on one of Georgia Tech’s Stinger buses to different parts of Atlanta for grocery, room furnishings, events, and attractions. Use the PassioGo app to find the “Charter” bus on the map.
Atlantic Station – August 16, 17, 19, and 22 from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Piedmont Park and Ponce City Market – August 17 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Centennial Olympic Park – August 19 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For the full schedule, check the Week of Welcome Guidebook.
Tuesday, August 17
The Campus Resource Fair will allow students to interact with a variety of different offices and departments at Georgia Tech to support the student experience. Come get your questions answered, meet our staff members, and pick up some free swag on Tech Walkway from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Traveling While Black is a 20-minute virtual reality documentary that immerses the viewer in the long history of restriction of movement for Black Americans and the creation of safe spaces in our communities. Take a seat in Ben’s Chili Bowl, the famed DC restaurant, and experience the stories of African American visitors as they sit and share a moment of honest discussion, reflecting on their experiences of restricted movement and race relations in the U.S. Travelling While Black will be installed in the Richards Gallery at the Ferst Center for the Arts from August 13 through November 12, 2021. Students can present their BuzzCard for free admission from August 14 - 22.
Tech Square is where the campus meets Midtown Atlanta’s bustling retail and technology district. With dozens of restaurants, Tech Square offers a variety of options, from pizza to sandwiches, Asian fusion to Mexican, waffles, and sweet treats. Head to Tech Square to meet up with other first-year students to redeem a complimentary meal using your BuzzCard from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Full steps and directions are available here.
Wednesday, August 18
This semester the Community Market will run every Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. outside of the Exhibition Hall. In addition to food, the Market will include student entrepreneurs, campus organizations, and other community members. Come hungry and bring a friend!
Take over the Georgia Tech Library from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for a late night of fun-filled snacks, video games, trivia, arts and crafts, and free giveaways. In addition to the fan favorites, this year features samples from Blue Donkey and Kaldis Coffee, the newest addition to Clough. There will be team trivia, board and video games, personalized posters, and custom videos in the Multimedia Scholarship Commons, and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in AIRspace. This is one party you will not want to miss before classes start.
Thursday, August 19
Dining Halls Open – Meal Plans Begin
Dining on campus this year is all-new with Tech’s new in-house dining program, Tech Dining. Dining Halls open for normal operating hours for the school year starting August 19. Come try a reengineered dining experience and start using your meal plan. For more about the new dining program, visit dining.gatech.edu.
GradExpo is Georgia Tech's resource fair for new graduate students. On Clough Commons from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., join campus departments and student organizations for information about programs, services, and activities they have to offer. Information sessions will also be offered. Join us for this lively, annual event! Learn more here.
RecFest is a signature event of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) that takes place at the start of every academic year. For three hours, students have an opportunity to learn about all the CRC has to offer. Campus Recreation champions health and wellbeing through dynamic and transformative experiences, and RecFest is where it starts. Join the CRC team for food, giveaways, and fun in Couch Park from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, August 20
Sophomore and Transfer Welcome Event
Join us at a welcome celebration specifically for second-years and transfer students. Come meet some new folks from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Peters Parking Deck and then catch the movie at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
SCPC Presents: Avengers Endgame at Bobby Dodd Stadium
Get ready for an epic night of superheroes and memes! Join the Student Center Programs Council (SCPC) at 8 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium for a FREE outdoor screening of the grand finale of the Avengers series: Avengers Endgame. Stick around after the movie to enjoy Marvel-related memes made by your fellow students! You can create and submit your own meme anytime during the Week of Welcome including during the movie here. The funniest memes will be displayed on the big screen at the end of the movie! Reserve your FREE tickets to bring your own blanket and watch the movie through Campus Tickets!
Saturday, August 21
Welcome, International Yellow Jackets
Come connect with fellow Yellow Jackets and learn about the student organizations that serve international students on Tech Green from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. There will be games, tables with information about the organizations, a gift card giveaway, Buzz, the Ramblin’ Reck, and snacks. Students will get a chance to meet other international students, as well as church and community volunteers.
Boogie the night away at SCPC’s Silent Disco! Join us on Tech Green from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. with your dancing shoes, play some lawn games, and reconnect with campus once again. Get tickets here and look for the purple tent to check in.
Sunday, August 22
New Student Convocation is a welcome ceremony for Georgia Tech incoming students on August 22 at 5:30 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion. Held on the day before the first day of classes, all incoming students will receive their RAT cap, T-Book, and Georgia Tech pin. Doors open at 4 p.m. The event will be live-streamed at specialevents.gatech.edu/convocation.
To get a head start on Week of Welcome events, complete the Week of Welcome Waiver, which is mandatory for events like Rock, Ramble, and Roll, Yellow Jacket MegaMixer, RecFest, and more.
Step 1:Download the CORQ app.
Step 2:Select “Engage @ Georgia Tech” and log in using your GT credentials.
Step 3:RSVP for the “Week of Welcome Mandatory Waiver” event and complete the RSVP.