Are you excited yet?! Well..you should be! Only 4 days until you move to SMC (aka the best place on earth)...AND you get to experience one of the most fun, crazy, exciting weekends of your whole St. Mike's career...freshman orientation! I'm actually extremely jealous..I totally wish I could go to orientation again. Besides POW and pday, orientation was probably my favorite freshman year memory..even though I felt beyond nervous & pretty awkward when I first got to campus, it was also super exciting to head up to Burlington and start life as a college student!
On that note, I thought I'd give you some tips for making the most out of orientation weekend..along with some things that you probably should avoid. Let's start with the do's...
What you should do at orientation:
1. Appreciate & take advantage of the (wonderful) o-leaders who are there to carry all of your things up to your dorm room. I literally didn't carry a single thing..not a bag, not a box, nada. It was fabulous. This is just one aspect of freshman orientation at SMC that makes it so great..the o-leaders make move-in day a piece of cake. Did I mention how jealous I am?
2. Go to every event! I'm not kidding, do it! They're all so much fun...from the hypnotist show to the freshman dance, there's never a dull moment. Feel like sleeping in? Forget about it! Save that for another day, because you only get one orientation experience, so I recommend jumping (or gracefully rolling) out of bed as soon as you hear those o-leader whistles! And yes, you will hear a lot of whistles.
3. Go around and meet your neighbors after everyone is moved in. My roommate and I did this last year...we walked around to all of our neighbors and asked if they wanted to eat with us that night in Alliot & that's how I made some of my very best friends! Also, make an effort to chat it up with everyone in your o-group, including you're orientation leaders! Yay for new friends!
4. Remember that everyone is in the exact same situation as you. Try not to be shy or hold back..orientation will be even better if you go along with the excitement! I'll admit, I was a pretty shy person all throughout high school...but when I got to St. Mike's, I decided to let loose and be more outgoing...and it was way more fun that way!
5. Ask questions! If you're totally confused, lost, or just a little unsure about something...ask your o-leader/RA/etc. They're there to help you & get you acclimated to the college environment (they're the experts)!
6. HAVE FUN! Enjoy yourselves & cherish every minute of orientation..it's a blast!
What you should not do at orientation:
1. Like I said before, try not to be shy...everyone's a little nervous & feeling totally awkward, so just remember that you're not the only one and make an effort to break out of your shell!
2. If you know people from your high school that are going to SMC as well, don't just hang out with them. Orientation is your chance to get to know anyone and everyone in your class..and it could be the start of many new friendships! Also, similarly, don't be on the phone/texting your friends or boyfriend/girlfriend from home the whole time...can you say, anti-social?
3. I said have fun & go along with the excitement...but don't get wild. Make a good name for yourself, not a reputation right from the beginning.
4. Don't clutter up your room with unnecessary stuff. Example: tons of extra storage, shelves, winter gear, etc. If you start off with a cluttered room, imagine what it will look like towards the end of the semester...a disaster. And yes, I can personally attest to this...I severely overpacked and ended up sending a lot of stuff home over the course of the year.
5. Don't be someone you're not. Translation? You should go to college with the mentality that this is a fresh start and an exciting new beginning...but you shouldn't pretend to be a totally different person with completely different interests/morals/habits/whatever. Be yourself, it's way easier...and everyone will like the real you anyways :)
Also, Alex did a post on How to Rock Orientation, so check that out too!
Have so so so much fun, 2016! See you guys in a week!!
-Juliana
