If you’re an incoming freshman or transfer student, then you know you have to endure a few days of seemingly pointless icebreakers and activities, campus tours and class registration, as well as shove countless school facts and resource information into the back of your mind (where it will most likely stay). However, freshman and transfer student orientation does have its benefits: a chance to meet new friends, ask questions about your new school, see the sights and experience your first taste of college (or of a new college).
“Orientation is a crucial part of the college experience,” said HC contributing writer Gennifer Delman, a Welcome Week Coordinator for Hofstra University. “It truly helps bridge the gap between high school and college before your first day.”
How to make the most of: Orientation activities
Your Dorm Stay – “Try to take notice of the dorm room you spent the night in during orientation,” said Jessica Stringer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recent grad. “Sure, you’ll probably be able to look up your exact dorm room dimensions on the housing website but actually being in a room similar in size to yours will be a reality check when it comes to packing.”
During my Orientation at Colorado State, I happened to stay in the same dormitory that I lived in freshman year, so I got to see exactly what my room would be like. I also experienced the food they serve there, although I remember it being a lot tastier during Orientation than it ever was again, so be prepared for things to go downhill a little bit.
Campus Tours– “One of the best things about orientation is that you get to observe the campus before you’re a full-time student,” said Gen. “Keep note of where your class buildings are so you can wow your professors on your first day by being on time! Walk around campus and familiarize yourself with where everything is. Browse the bookstore, hit the gym, or visit the computer lab. There are likely summer sessions going on and you may make a friend along the way!”
{Take advantage of Orientation to get an idea of what your classes will be like! Ask your leader about class structures and sizes if you aren’t sure.}
Mock Classes– “Hofstra has a ‘mock class’ during Orientation where you discuss a relevant text,” says Gen. “This gives you a good idea of how our classes are structured and demonstrates what’s expected of you. So read it and get involved! You’ll make a great first impression and who knows, you might have that professor in the fall!”
Resource/Involvement Fairs– L.J. Ankarlo, Colorado State ‘11 and a Preview Late Night Coordinator (L.J. helps with late-night activities at CSU’s Freshman Orientation), says to take advantage of fairs to find out what services and activities are available on your campus. “This will give you a glimpse of what activities will be offered and what programs/groups you can become a part of,” she said. “You should take your time while going through the fairs and think about what you might want to get involved in once school starts. It is easy to get overwhelmed sometimes with everything that is offered, but know that you can take your time to decide and you don’t have to sign up for everything at the very beginning.”
Registration– L.J. suggests taking advantage of your advisor when registering for your first classes. “Make sure that you take your time choosing classes and your schedule. I was one of the last ones left in the room when I registered for my classes and it was worth it because I got to know my advisor really well and she gave me specific suggestions on my schedule.”
Group Activities/Seminars, etc. – “If there is a mandatory event for orientation, go! If there’s an event that’s not, go!” said Jessica. “Take advantage of the opportunities to learn about college life, your new computer, Greek life, whatever. Trust me, when you’re a little lost that first day of school, you’ll be glad you took advantage of orientation.”
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How to make the most of: Your Orientation Leader and group
Gen also recommends befriending your Orientation Leader. “These students have proven to be leaders on campus, so they are invaluable resources,” she said. “Don’t connect with yours? Ask to speak to someone with a similar major or who is in a club/organization you’d like to join. Then follow them on Twitter or friend them on Facebook to keep in touch. Just don’t be too persistent – you don’t want to be the annoying freshman.”
Orientation Leader Emanuel Brito, Colorado State ‘12, says one of the most important things new students can take from orientation is new connections – whether they are with peers, your orientation leader or your advisor.
“Make friends!! I didn’t know anyone at my orientation session, let alone my future college,” said Jessica. “Although I definitely wasn’t sitting alone, I should have made more of an effort to be chatty and find friends.”
“Prior to freshman orientation, I discovered a Facebook group for incoming freshmen to join so they could get to know each other a little bit,” said one HC reader. “I jumped at the opportunity to get involved in this group and began talking to a lot of interesting people. Of course, being active in the group also allowed me to scope out the hot guys in my year!”
How to deal with: Orientation Information Overload
Considering the amount of work we put into getting into college, it almost comes as a shock that college is, in fact, more difficult than the admissions process itself. To make matters worse, once you are accepted (but before the real work begins), you have to learn all the preliminaries about your particular school: this, of course, comes in the form of Orientation. How, then, should you process all the information given?
Plan Ahead.“Read as much as you can about credit hours and the structure of the curriculum before you go,” Jessica said. “Once you get to registration at orientation, you’ll probably have tons of questions and if your experience was like mine, you’ll be surrounded by adults who really don’t know the answers. I got upset on the drive home because I felt I had signed up for the wrong classes. Little did I know I’d have plenty of opportunities to play with my schedule come the first week of class. People drop classes, and you can always email professors to get in a class.”
Be Choosy – Pay more attention to info you might need.Emanuel says he knows that orientation can be overwhelming at times. “We give you a lot of information in a very small amount of time,” he said. “The best way to retain it is to look out for what you believe you’re going to need the most when you come back in the fall. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand what the information is or how it works,” he said.
How to make the most of: Orientation Week parties
So, your Orientation roommate heard about a party happening just a few blocks from campus, and is going to go with some others from your Orientation group. Should you go? Well, of course! This is a perfect opportunity to get even closer to some of the people you’ve met, and make new connections with veteran students. Upperclassmen always have the hook-up on the best local hot spots, and can be invaluable resources and mentors while you’re getting your bearings in your new home. Plus, they throw the best parties, so if you get in good with the hosts and hostesses, you’ll get invites throughout the year.
Orientation Don’ts
Don’t Miss Opportunities!
One HC reader shares her story of Orientation regret: “On the first day of orientation, Joe (a cute boy from the freshman Facebook group) and I were the first two people to check-in at our residence hall. I was thrilled when he recognized me, and my first impression of him was even better than I had hoped. My excitement was short-lived, however, because we soon discovered that we were both in separate groups. This disappointed me so much that I spent the entire three days of orientation attempting to get near him, rather than fully appreciating my own amazing group. I left orientation feeling bittersweet, but not until a few weeks later did I realize the mistake I had made by acting so ridiculous. Even though I did still manage to make plenty of wonderful friends from my group, I regret wasting my orientation experience trying to impress a guy. It’s so much more important to put yourself out there.”
Don’t Go Crazy
While parties with the upperclassmen may be a ton of fun and a great opportunity for new friendships, don’t go overboard. You don’t want to be recognized on your first day as the freshman that was passed out in somebody’s lawn all night. If any reputation prior to school is to be gained, try to make it a good one. You’ll go to plenty of parties in your college career, so there is no need to recreate any scene from Animal House just to get your first college experience.
Don’t Stress!
If you are anything like me, you know that you get stressed out when you’re not 100% sure of what to do. Orientation throws a lot of information out at you, and it can be stressful. But don’t worry – Much of what you need to know about college comes with time. Information about college living (whether on or off campus), financial aid, registration and campus activities can all be found on an as-needed basis from the resources available to students. In other words – focus on preparing for your classes rather than stress about knowing every detail of college life before the semester starts.
Getting the most out of the chaotic days of orientation sometimes just comes down to being able to stow away useful information and do your best to make as many contacts as possible. Most importantly, perhaps, is to have fun and appreciate that you’ve made the perfect college selection to begin your career as a savvy collegiette.
Sources
Gennifer Delman, HC Contributing Writer
Jessica Stringer, HC Contributing Writer
L.J. Ankarlo, Colorado State University 2011
Emanuel Brito, Colorado State University 2012
Anonymous “Be in HC!” reader submission