The fall semester is underway, but if you organize retreats or events for a college group, you’re probably already thinking about next year’s incoming freshmen.
Next August, a new group of students will arrive on campus. Many won’t know anyone in your group, and some may be living away from home for the first time.
They’re entering a season filled with new experiences, unfamiliar faces, and plenty of uncertainty. Finding a community where they feel welcome can make a real difference in how they settle into college life.
But building those relationships takes time, and once classes begin, everyone’s schedules quickly fill up with lectures, assignments, campus activities, and football weekends.
That’s why the days before the semester starts are such a valuable opportunity.
A college group retreat gives incoming freshmen and returning students time to get to know one another, build friendships, and start the school year feeling like they’re already part of something.
At Gulf Shores Beach Retreat, we’ve seen how much can happen when students have that time together.
How Four or Five Days Helped One Freshman Find His Community
In August, a college group from Louisiana stayed at Gulf Shores Beach Retreat from Sunday through Thursday. Among the students attending were 80 incoming freshmen.
Before the group headed home, one of those freshmen shared something with John, one of the owners of Gulf Shores Beach Retreat.
He said he’d made friendships in those four or five days that would normally have taken an entire semester to develop.
That’s a powerful reminder of what can happen when students spend time together outside their usual routines.
On campus, friendships often develop between classes, during weekly meetings, or at occasional social events. Students might see one another for an hour or two before heading off in different directions.
A retreat changes that.
“Students share meals, participate in activities, spend time in group sessions, and hang out together without having to rush to their next class.”
Students share meals, participate in activities, spend time in group sessions, and hang out together without having to rush to their next class.
They have opportunities to connect with people they might otherwise only exchange a quick hello with.
And there’s research supporting the importance of those early relationships.
A study published in Studies in Higher Education explored how first-year university students develop a sense of belonging through everyday interactions and personal connections. The research highlights how even small moments of connection can contribute to students feeling accepted and part of their university community.
For college group organizers, creating opportunities for those connections before classes begin can be a meaningful way to welcome a new freshman class.
Help Freshmen Feel Included From the Beginning
One of the biggest challenges with welcoming new students is helping them move beyond simply attending an event to feeling like they belong.
It’s natural for returning students to gravitate toward their existing friends. Meanwhile, freshmen may hesitate to join conversations or activities because they don’t know anyone yet.
A retreat gives you an opportunity to be intentional about bringing everyone together.
Consider dividing students into smaller teams that include both freshmen and returning members. Keep those teams together for certain games, meals, or group discussions throughout the retreat.
This gives new students a few familiar faces to look for as the retreat progresses.
You can also encourage returning students to take an active role in welcoming freshmen, whether that’s inviting someone to join a game, sitting with them at dinner, or introducing them to others.
For students who are quieter or less comfortable in large groups, smaller activities can make participation easier.
Not everyone enjoys being the center of attention, and a retreat should offer different ways for students to get involved.
The goal isn’t to force friendships. It’s to create an environment where getting to know one another feels natural.
Plan Activities That Make It Easy to Connect
College retreats often work best with a combination of organized activities, group sessions, and plenty of free time.
At Gulf Shores Beach Retreat, there are several ways to bring students together, both on the property and around Gulf Shores.
Bring Everyone Together With Beach Games
With the beach just across the street, you have a great setting for group activities.
Divide students into teams for relay races, tug-of-war, sandcastle competitions, or beach volleyball.
Mix freshmen and returning students so everyone has an opportunity to meet someone new.
A little friendly competition can help break the ice, especially for students who might feel uncomfortable starting conversations with strangers.
By the end of the day, students will have shared plenty of laughs and experiences with people they didn’t know before arriving.
Organize a Game Night
After dinner, bring everyone together for a trivia night, lip-sync battle, or another group competition.
These activities are especially helpful during the first evening, when students may still be getting comfortable with one another.
You don’t need an elaborate production. A few creative challenges and opportunities for everyone to participate can make for a fun evening.
Consider including activities that don’t require students to perform in front of the entire group. Team trivia or smaller group challenges give quieter students a way to participate without feeling put on the spot.
Make Shared Meals Part of the Experience
Meals are an important part of any retreat, but they’re also an opportunity for students to connect.
“At Gulf Shores Beach Retreat, each side has a fully equipped commercial kitchen, giving your group space to prepare and serve meals together.”
At Gulf Shores Beach Retreat, each side has a fully equipped commercial kitchen, giving your group space to prepare and serve meals together.
Consider assigning small teams to help with meal preparation, setting tables, or cleanup.
Working together gives students something to do while they talk, which can make conversations feel more natural.
After dinner, you could gather around the charcoal grills to roast marshmallows or spend time together by the pool.
Sometimes, the conversations that begin over dinner continue long after everyone has finished eating.
Explore the Gulf Shores Area
If you’d like to plan an outing away from the property, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is another option.
The refuge protects approximately 7,000 acres of coastal habitat and offers hiking trails where students can explore the area’s natural surroundings.
You could organize a group walk or a nature scavenger hunt, challenging students to identify birds, plants, and other wildlife.
It’s a way to spend time outdoors while exploring a different side of Gulf Shores.
Make Time for Meaningful Group Sessions
While games and activities help students get comfortable with one another, group sessions give your retreat an opportunity to explore topics that matter to your students.
For some groups, that might mean discussing the transition to college life, building healthy friendships, developing leadership skills, or learning how to balance academics with other responsibilities. For college ministries, it could also include conversations about faith and spiritual growth.
Rather than filling the schedule with long presentations, consider combining a few larger sessions with smaller group discussions.
Some students will feel comfortable sharing their thoughts in front of everyone. Others may be more willing to participate in a group of six or eight people.
One idea is to invite returning students to share their experiences from their first year of college. They could talk about challenges they faced, friendships they developed, or what being part of the group has meant to them.
Hearing from students who’ve already navigated that transition can help freshmen feel more comfortable asking questions and sharing their own concerns.
Our 1,600-square-foot upstairs meeting room provides space for group gatherings. Both sides of the retreat share the room, and it’s reserved for your group during your booked times.
You can use it for larger sessions and then divide students into smaller discussion groups.
Leave Room for Friendships to Develop Naturally
Whether your group stays for two nights or several days, you don’t need to schedule something for every hour.
A retreat should give students opportunities to spend time together without always having an activity to complete or somewhere to be.
After a morning of beach games or group sessions, leave the afternoon open for swimming, volleyball, or relaxing with friends.
Students might spend that time getting to know their roommates, talking with someone they met during a group activity, or simply enjoying a break before the semester begins.
Those unplanned moments are part of what makes spending time away together valuable.
When planning your schedule, think about giving students a balance of shared experiences, meaningful sessions, and time to connect on their own.
A Retreat Space Designed for Large Groups
When you’re bringing dozens of college students together, having enough space for everyone makes planning much easier.
At Gulf Shores Beach Retreat, each side of the property accommodates up to 80 guests and includes four bunk rooms, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, two charcoal grills, a private pool, a sand volleyball court, and a basketball goal.
There’s also parking for buses, vans, and cars, making group transportation easier to coordinate.
“Your group has its side of the retreat to itself, giving students space to spend time together throughout their stay.”
Your group has its side of the retreat to itself, giving students space to spend time together throughout their stay.
Bringing More Than 80 Students?
Larger college groups can rent the entire facility.
Both college groups that stayed with us in August booked both sides of the property. That gave each group exclusive use of the facility, including two kitchens, two pools, and additional space for their students.
For larger groups, having everyone in one location makes it easier to organize meals, activities, and group gatherings.
Give Your Freshmen a Head Start on Friendship
Starting college comes with plenty of changes. New classes, new responsibilities, and new surroundings can make those first few weeks feel overwhelming.
Having a community of familiar faces can make a difference.
A retreat before classes begin gives freshmen time to build relationships with returning students and one another before the demands of the semester take over.
And as that freshman from Louisiana discovered, a few days spent together can sometimes accomplish what would otherwise take months.
If you’re planning a college group retreat for next August, we’d love to help you bring your students together at Gulf Shores Beach Retreat.
Send us your preferred dates and approximately how many students you’re expecting, and we’ll let you know what’s available.
