[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/pyramid5.jpg” caption=”Welcome Week student co-ordinators include (bottom row): Chris Zulinov, Jessica Toth and Tyler Lane. Top row: Raakhee Patel and Caroline Gdyczynski. Photo by Susan Bubak.”]They're ready to hit the books, but not before having some fun. More than 3,300 first-year students are expected to participate in Welcome Week, which runs from Saturday, Sept. 1 to Sunday, Sept. 9.

From carnivals to concerts, there's something for everyone. Months of planning have gone into this year's activities, thanks to the hard work and dedication of faculty, staff and more than 1,200 upper-year students.

“Welcome Week is a collaboration of many student and campus partners,” said Michele Corbeil of the First Year Experience Office. “It's a significant year-round effort to bring these groups together as a team.”

Not only are first-year students looking forward to Welcome Week, so are the student co-ordinators, such as Jessica Toth.

“Meeting first-year students reminds me of when I was in first year,” says Toth, now a third-year English student. She says she felt nervous about starting university, but Welcome Week helped alleviate her fears.

As upper-year students, the co-ordinators had some words of wisdom for McMaster's newest arrivals.

“Get involved in whatever interests you,” says fourth-year commerce student Tyler Lane, who didn't know anyone at McMaster in first year until he joined his faculty society, student clubs and intramural sports teams.

On the academic side, third-year science student Raakhee Patel advises newcomers to keep up with their schoolwork, or they could find themselves falling behind later in the term.

“Start your work as soon as you can,” she says. “It easily piles up.”

Some of the highlights of this year's Welcome Week festivities include IRIS, a student-produced play that addresses issues that students may face in first year, such as living away from home, keeping up with academic responsibilities and making friends. In keeping with this year's theme, “Mac to the Future,” the audience will time-travel through McMaster's past, present and future.

The Residence and SOCS Carnival on Sunday, Sept. 2 will feature a dunk tank, human foosball and sumo wrestling. Bring your dancing shoes to the Monday Night Social on Sept. 3 for swing dancing, salsa and break dancing lessons, as well as a cover band at Quarters and a coffee house in the courtyard of Mills Memorial Library.

Students will get the chance to shake hands with McMaster president Peter George, associate vice-president student affairs Phil Wood, and the University's new provost and vice-president academic Ilene Busch-Vishniac during the Faculty Welcome on Tuesday, Sept. 4.

The MSU is hosting two concerts in Faculty Hollow. Hedley will perform on Tuesday, Sept. 4 and Metric will take the stage on Saturday, Sept. 8.

If you forgot to bring something with you to residence, you can probably get it at IKEA. Buses will take you to the Burlington store on Friday, Sept. 7.