This past week, I spent two days and one night at my college, Belmont University's student orientation. Now, while half of the time was spent with my parents listening to boring lectures, there were some things I wish I would have been more prepared for ... like when everyone erupted into singing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," and I found myself being grabbed by at least 10 strangers. No one warned me about that special "tradition." But here's a list of some more serious dos and don'ts everyone should know for college orientation.
Do try to meet new people! This seems so scary, I know. The first time they split the students from their parents I almost had a heart attack, but I remembered nearly everyone else was feeling this way so, I simply looked at the person who was walking next to me and said, "Hi, I'm Reese, where are you from?" and behold, I had already met someone. Here's a quick pro tip: whenever you're unsure of who to talk to, try aiming for the people who are sitting alone on their phones. More than likely, they will appreciate you talking to them! I know I did.
Don't stick to your mother's hip. This honestly just seems like the best option, I know. But how can you interact with the people you're going to spending the next four years of your life with if you won't leave your parent's side? So you gotta say goodbye to Mom and Dad and hello to all the wonderful strangers around you.
Do talk to different groups of people. If you stick to the same group all orientation, you're basically robbing yourself of meeting other awesome people. So put yourself out there and set a goal to talk to at least 10 people in a day!
Don't be discouraged if don't find your niche of people at orientation. At my orientation, there were already a few groups of people banded together whereas I hadn't spoken to the same person twice besides my roommate and one other person. Remember, there is only a fraction of your class here. When school actually starts you will have more time to make real connections and find like-minded people.
Do be prepared to register for your classes. It was the most stressful experience of the entire orientation and thankfully, it went well for me because the day before, my mom advised me to go ahead and look at my course requirements and choose some classes. You should all do this too — it will decrease the amount of scrambling you have to do, and you will overall feel more confident when the time to actually register comes. And props to you if you're lucky enough to get every class that you wanted! Everyone will be extremely jealous of you, I promise.
Don't be too scared. This touches on my first note. Everyone is just as scared, anxious and nervous as you. No one really knows each other, and they're hoping some friendly soul will come save them from their awkwardness. This is the time where it's OK to walk around with a doofus smile on your face saying hi to everyone you make eye contact with. I mean, you can do this anytime, but it's more socially acceptable to do it at orientation. Some good conversation starters are, of course, asking their major, where they are from and even being honest and saying, "This is kind of nerve-wracking, right?" sets up a nice conversation.
Do take notes. I know, I know — the information sessions can be so incredibly boring a lot of times. However, a lot of good information is shared, and you won't want to miss it. If someone mentions a club or class that sounds really interesting, write it down! And then when fall comes around, you'll remember to join that club or perhaps take that class. So, bring that pencil and paper!
Don't be afraid to ask questions! Those student orientations leaders had devoted their free time to helping you. They are there for you to ask questions about literally anything that you can think of and will be more than happy to answer questions. All of my orientation leaders were super friendly and eventually my questions went from being about the school to what their favorite drink is to get at Starbucks. Ask them questions, girl (or boy).
Do be prepared to bust out your best dance moves. If your university's orientation is anything like mine then you will have some sort of dance party to attend at the end of your orientation. I'm not going to lie, it's really awkward at first. However, once the music gets going and the crowd becomes less tense, you'll be dancing like Beyonce with a group of perfect strangers within the hour.
Don't sit out of ice-breaker games. Now, I know how lame team building and ice-breaker games can be, but they really do force you to meet tons of new people. So put your self-consciousness away for 15 minutes and have fun. It'll be worth it.
I really hope this list helps all of you who still have orientation to attend this summer. I wish you all the best.
