The Freshman Retreats provide an opportunity for the members of the entering first-year class at Catawba to get to know each other and some members of the faculty prior to the start of the hectic activity of registration and the beginning of classes. The retreat is designed to help freshmen gain a better understanding of the college experience and be successful. Members of the Student Retreat Leadership Corp are also on-hand to help answer questions from an upperclassman's point-of-view.

(See also Freshman Retreat)