In the year it celebrates six decades of existence, Unicamp has prepared a special party to welcome the freshmen of 2026. The Pro-Rector of Undergraduate Studies (PRG) has planned a series of cultural, pedagogical and orientation activities, in which the new students will have the opportunity to meet colleagues and professors, as well as establish contact with the University's support bodies where they will receive information about enrollment, scholarships, aid and student support programs.
This year's freshman orientation program will take place on February 23rd and 24th and features a new addition: the Welcome Kit, a name adopted by the PRG (Postgraduate Studies Office) for a set of initiatives aimed at incoming students.
The highlight of the kit is a pilot project in which the University offers pedagogical support to new students. In a joint effort with the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing (Imecc), the PRG (Postgraduate Studies Office) prepared the Pre-Calculus course (Towards Mathematics). This is an extension course in the dissemination modality produced by Imecc, with technical support from the Unicamp Educational Technologies Management Group (GGTE) and the Unicamp Extension School (Extecamp). The course is free and online, at a time that best suits the student.
According to PRG, the course aims to reinforce for students the high school content that is an important prerequisite for mathematics subjects in higher education, especially Calculus I and Analytic Geometry and Vectors.
The pro-rectorate believes that, with this, the student will arrive in the classroom better prepared and with a greater possibility of academic success, reducing retention and dropout rates.
The Welcome Kit also includes a series of videos that introduce the university to students and discuss the services the institution offers.
Civil Engineering and Architecture
As part of the freshman orientation program, the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urbanism (Fecfau) at Unicamp will provide a drawing kit to incoming students. According to the faculty, the material aims to offer students adequate support for the development of drawing skills throughout their undergraduate studies, contributing to academic adaptation and enhancing the educational process from the moment they enter the program.
The distribution of the kits will take place on March 3rd at 19 PM, in an event organized by the course coordination. According to the administration, this measure demonstrates the University's commitment to the retention and academic success of its students.
New architecture students will also receive a drawing kit – consisting of an eco-bag, a set of set squares, a set of pens, a mechanical pencil, a compass, and an A3 drawing board with a ruler. The coordinator of the Faculty of Architecture, Rafael Urano, noted that this year the specific skills test – which included drawing tests on creativity, memory, and technical (geometric) drawing – was removed from the entrance exam. The coordinator emphasized, however, that a large part of the course relies on drawing as one of its main foundations, and it is important for students to be familiar with the subject. The kit will be distributed on March 3rd.
First days
The Vice-Rector for Undergraduate Studies, Professor Mônica Cotta, says she still remembers her first days at Unicamp, in the first half of the 1980s, when she was accepted into the Physics program. “It was the beginning of a journey that changed my life, and I hope it will change the lives of every student who comes through here as well,” said the professor. “Because Unicamp is not just an undergraduate course. It is a space for living, for coexistence, for a plurality of ideas and knowledge,” she added. “And we hope that you, new student, will come here to take advantage of all of that.”
The Vice-Rector recalled that, over the years, Unicamp has consolidated an extensive support network for students in areas such as student housing, learning, career, and health support. The main objective of this network, Cotta noted, is precisely to ensure that students are able to remain at the University and complete their courses.
Walk
The program to welcome new students begins with a walk organized by the Sports Directorate of the Pro-Rectorate for Extension, Sports and Culture (Proeec). The walk will depart from Praça da Paz towards the Multidisciplinary Gymnasium. The meeting point is scheduled for 8:30 am.
The freshmen will be welcomed by the Unicamp drum corps in the gymnasium, with welcome messages presented by the rector Paulo César Montagner, the General Coordinator of the University, Professor Fernando Coelho, the Pro-Rector of Undergraduate Studies, and other representatives of the central administration of the University.
The Welcome Kit will be distributed in the Gymnasium – a t-shirt with artwork from the Welcome Week and a color specially chosen for the year of entry; a mug for use in the university restaurants, where plastic cups are no longer available; and a "meal voucher" for the first meal at the University. The kit also includes a reusable bag to comfortably carry the items.
The organizing committee for the 2026 Welcome Week has installed a photo booth in the gymnasium so that each student can record their first day at the University. There will also be stands from student groups, promoting extracurricular activities developed by athletic associations, academic centers, and senior students.
The organizing committee reminds everyone that each course prepares a welcome program to introduce its spaces, including coordination offices, secretariats, and administration. The welcome committees and mentors from each unit or course will contact the freshmen to ensure that each new student can take advantage of the activities.
PRG reminds everyone that the Freshman Welcome Week is a welcoming event and, because of this, there have been no reports of violent hazing for several years. Even so, they have opened a phone number for reporting such incidents: (19) 3521-6000.
Lunch
The University will offer a free lunch at the University Restaurant (RU), located opposite the Academic Directorate (DAC). The event is a great opportunity to get to know different University departments, such as the Campus Administration, the Campus Life Secretariat (SVC), the Unicamp Innovation Agency (Inova), the Blood Bank, the Community Health Center (Cecom), the Library Systems, the Executive Directorate for Student Support and Retention (Deape), and many others.
Piracicaba
The Piracicaba School of Dentistry (FOP) at Unicamp will also have a special program to welcome new students. There will be buses from Piracicaba to Campinas on the 23rd, but students can also go directly to Praça da Paz for the walk. Further information can be obtained by emailing the Undergraduate Coordination Office – gradfop@unicamp.br.
Day 24: Limeira
The Limeira campuses will receive about a third of Unicamp's incoming students this year. Therefore, the central organization's welcoming activities will take place in the city itself. These will include campus-specific celebrations with photo booths to commemorate the first day, sports and cultural activities, information stands, and opportunities for student groups to participate.
In the morning, the welcoming delegation will visit the Faculty of Technology (FT) campus. In the afternoon, the celebration will take place with the students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FCA).
Access for more information about the 2026 Welcome Week.
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