Begin at the beginning

Campus has sprung to life with an estimated 36,000 students arriving. And first-year students were given a warm welcome at a boisterous rally in Hawrelak Park.

Hundreds of students made the short walk from campus to the river valley park, filling the Heritage Amphitheatre with school chants, songs and laughter. The U of A cheer team, members of the Students' Union executive and university mascots Patches and Guba took the stage to great fanfare, but it wasn't until U of A President Indira Samarasekera was introduced that the crowd delivered a standing O - literally.

Standing with their arms bent O-shaped above their heads, the students shouted their enthusiasm to Samarasekera: "Ohhhhhhh!"

Grinning ear to ear, Samarasekera returned the gesture, telling the students that they are the U of A's greatest feature.

"Welcome to the University of Alberta - welcome to your University of Alberta," Samarasekera said. "I am so glad you are all here. Let me tell you - the University of Alberta is going to change your life and you, every single one of you, is going to change the lives of those around you."

"You have chosen a great university," she added. "Do you want to know how I know that? I know that because I am standing here in front of you. You are what makes ours a great university."

This week, the U of A welcomes more than 36,000 students - approximately 30,500 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students. Of those, all but about 2,000 undergraduates and 1,500 graduate students are studying fulltime.

Samarasekera encouraged the first-year students to apply themselves to their studies, and to explore the myriad of learning opportunities outside the classroom.

"I want you to find some new friends - to join some new groups, to have some new experiences," she said.