On September 3, DigiPen Institute of Technology Europe-Bilbao welcomed the new students of the 2024 –2025 academic year. The orientation day was an exciting starting point, filled with activities to ensure a connection with the institution and its innovative spirit.
This event marked the start of the new academic year and reaffirmed DigiPen’s commitment to providing a warm and welcoming transition to college life for its students.
The day kicked off with an encouraging speech from the Dean of Academic Affairs, Thomas Komair, who emphasized DigiPen’s mission to train future leaders in the field of technology and digital arts. He also motivated the group to embrace new challenges ahead in the pursuit of excellence.
Later, second-year students led a virtual campus tour they built using Minecraft. This tour allowed the new class to explore DigiPen Europe-Bilbao’s facilities in a unique and interactive way, highlighting both the creativity and the collaborative spirit that define the institution.
The liveliest moment of the day arrived with the clue game where incoming students, divided into small groups, got to explore the campus in a fun and dynamic way. They were able to break the ice and start building connections with each other, something that DigiPen deeply values, with some exciting Mario Kart, ping-pong, and table football tournaments. They also had the chance to try out video games developed by their upper-year peers from both the BS in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation and the BFA in Digital Art and Animation degree programs.
To wrap up the day, the students gathered in the canteen for a fun snack to get to know each other better. DigiPen understands that our academic success also relies on a collaborative environment, and these types of activities are designed to reinforce that sense of belonging. And what better way to do so than with some delicious pizza?
The excitement of the first day was contagious, spreading to returning students and faculty alike. Everyone was eager to dive into this experience and start the new year with renewed energy. The campus, buzzing with new creative ideas, became the perfect spot to start to plan the new projects for the upcoming school year.