Most freshmen orientation programmes at the autonomous universities here have moved online owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, and most are not compulsory. In one such virtual session at SMU last Wednesday, a group of 12 freshmen was hosted by two senior student facilitators in a teleconference call on the Webex platform. About 1,900 incoming SMU students, out of a 2,300-strong cohort, participated in the online orientation, which featured programmes such as games and webinars. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung also joined in the group, taking part in some games and chatting with the students.