Every student who begins a program at Guildford College takes part in a new student orientation. Orientation is provided at no cost, it is part of your program, and it is where we make sure you know what is expected of you, what support is available, and how to reach us.

Orientation is delivered to every incoming cohort, and international students receive additional content covering arrival, settlement and life in British Columbia.

When Orientation Takes Place

What Orientation Covers

Your orientation, and the written orientation package that goes with it, covers the following.

Your Program and What Is Expected of You

• Your program outline, course content, learning outcomes and credential
• Your timetable, including scheduled on-campus sessions and any practicum component
• How you will be assessed, how grades are calculated, and what constitutes satisfactory progress
• Attendance requirements and what happens if attendance falls below the required standard
• Academic honesty, plagiarism and student conduct expectations

Your Rights, Our Policies and How to Raise a Concern

• Your student enrolment contract and what it commits both parties to
• Tuition, fees and the tuition refund policy
• The student complaint procedure and the dispute resolution policy
• Your right to make a complaint to the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) and how to do so
• Privacy and how your personal information is collected, used and stored
• All College policies, published on our Policies page

Supports, Services and Facilities

• Academic and learning support, and how to ask for help early
• Accessibility and academic accommodations, and how to request them
• English language support
• Health, safety and wellbeing supports, mental health services, and addiction and overdose supports — including where to obtain free naloxone on campus. See our Health, Safety and Wellbeing page.
• Campus facilities, hours, and how to reach reception and student services
• The student portal and the Guildford College Learning Centre, and how to use them

Living in British Columbia

• The cost of living in Surrey and the Lower Mainland, including housing costs
• The availability of accommodation and how to look for it safely
• Your rights and responsibilities as a tenant in British Columbia
• Your rights as an employee in British Columbia, and the conditions attached to working while you study
• Health coverage, the Medical Services Plan, and insurance during the waiting period
• Transport, banking, mobile phone and internet services, and taxes
• Emergency services and personal safety

Your Written Orientation Package

Every new student receives a written orientation package at no cost. You keep it, and everything in it is also available to you here on this website and in the student portal for the whole of your program.

Additional Orientation for International Students

If you are coming to Canada to study with us, your orientation also covers the practical side of arriving and settling in:

• What to expect on arrival, and what to bring
• The conditions of your study permit, and keeping it valid
• Registering for the Medical Services Plan and arranging insurance for the waiting period
• Opening a bank account, getting a Social Insurance Number, and setting up a mobile phone
• Finding accommodation, and your rights as a tenant
• Getting around Surrey and Metro Vancouver
• Cultural adjustment, and the community and settlement services available to you

Detailed guidance on each of these is on our International Students pages and in our Arrival Guide.

Questions Before You Start?

You do not need to wait for orientation to ask. Prospective and newly enrolled students are welcome to contact us at any time about the program, the supports available, or anything in the orientation package. Contact us and we will answer.