UAL Orientation Days & Tutoring

Ice-Breakers & Creative Dynamics

University of Almería

An interactive roadmap to welcome and connect new students: fast-paced ice-breakers, social networking, and collaborative drawing challenges.

The Golden Rule: 2-Minute Chat Breaks

With every group shuffle or peer interaction, you will have exactly 2 minutes to introduce yourselves and discover shared interests before moving on.

Classroom Timer

02:00

Birthday Paradox Calculator

Probability: 81.4% exact match chance
1
Sole Mates Fast & Agile

Students move around the room to find classmates who share their exact shoe size to form a micro-group.

Tip: If someone has an uncommon size, pair up with the nearest number (±0.5 or ±1).
2
Alpha Connect Identity

Quickly regroup with classmates whose first name starts with the same initial letter.

Tip: Less common initial letters (e.g., W, K, X) can team up into a multi-letter cluster.
3
Generation Sync Affinity

Group by age within a close window of ±1 year (e.g., if you are 19, pair with peers aged 18, 19, or 20).

Tip: Great for identifying classmates in similar life and academic stages.
4
Leisure & Passions Clubs Interests

Form new circles based on personal hobbies: sports, gaming, hiking, cinema, music, or reading.

Tip: Encourages campus hobby groups and study-break plans outside the classroom.
5
Calendar Twins The Grand Quest

Walk around asking for birthdays (day and month). The objective is to find the classmate who shares your exact birthday or has the closest date to yours.

Live Probability: In a group of 35 people, there is over an 80% chance of an exact match!
Artistic Expression Phase: Sketches & UAL Symbols Visual Arts

Transitioning into visual communication through three progressive drawing challenges focused on spatial coordination, intuition, and play:

1. Back-to-Back (Pure Communication)

In pairs, sitting or standing back-to-back:
• Round A: Partner 1 provides strictly verbal geometric instructions (proportions, directions) so Partner 2 can sketch the Indalo without seeing it.
• Round B: Switch roles to guide the drawing of the Sol de Portocarrero (the emblem of the UAL).

2. Blind Drawing (Proprioception & Intuition)

Block direct line-of-sight between your eyes and your hand using a folder, sheet of paper, or mobile phone.
Sketch the remaining symbol (either the Indalo or the UAL Sun) without looking at the strokes until fully finished.

Canvas: Drawn on sticker paper so students can personalize their folders or luggage afterward.
3. The Blackboard Impostor

4 volunteers step up to the board. 3 are secretly given a shared topic, while the 4th receives a distractor topic (the Impostor).
Taking turns, each draws a single stroke or symbol on the board. The audience must observe, debate, and uncover the impostor.

Instructor Topics (Click to reveal):

Round 1: Sustainability & Environment
Majority (3 students): Sustainability (recycling logos, leaves, sun rays, wind turbines)
Impostor (1 student): Football / Soccer (goal posts, footballs, nets, referee whistles)
Round 2: Life on the UAL Campus
Majority (3 students): University / Library (books, backpacks, lecture halls, graduation caps)
Impostor (1 student): Restaurant Kitchen (frying pans, chef hats, burners, plates)
Round 3: Almería Coast & Sea
Majority (3 students): Beach & Sea (waves, palm trees, seagulls, beach umbrellas)
Impostor (1 student): Ski Resort / Winter (sleds, snowflakes, heavy parkas, icy mountains)
Round 4: Travel & Mobility
Majority (3 students): Air Travel / Airport (airplane wings, control towers, passports, luggage)
Impostor (1 student): Gym & Weightlifting (dumbbells, treadmills, barbell plates, muscles)
Round 5: Digital Culture & Tech
Majority (3 students): Artificial Intelligence / Robotics (gears, circuit chips, monitors, wires)
Impostor (1 student): Classic Gardening (watering cans, flowerpots, blooms, hand trowels)

Final Challenge: Introduce Your Peer

At the end of the session, we will pick students at random. You will not introduce yourself—instead, you will take 30 seconds to present the classmate you met or drew with.

First name and hometown.
How the drawing collaboration went.
An interesting hobby or fun fact they shared.
Make your partner shine in front of the group!