Orientation leaders are the first faces that incoming students see on a college campus. They are the first friends, the first mentors, the first impressions of the college. And yeah, maybe being involved in orientation is one of the top things that your future employers will look for on your resume, but other than that, there's really no reason that you should sign up to be an OL.
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You'll have to give up some of your summer
If you sign up to be an OL, you are signing up to come back to college for a week or so during your precious summer. Why would you want to leave home where you are working that minimum wage job or just lounging around watching Netflix? And for what? Coming back to see your friends and make new ones all while promoting your love for the school you attend? Hilarious.
You're going to get a lot of attention
Being an Orientation Leader entitles you to attention from your peers, the incoming students, and the faculty and administration at your school. There will be people coming up to you for weeks to thank you and commend you on coming back over the summer and then moving in early to help with Fall Orientation. You won't be able to walk anywhere without someone waving or saying hello to you between your fellow OLs, the Orientation executives, the incoming students, and the administration that you worked with.
Very Little Sleep
Oh, you like sleeping? That's a shame. During your time as an orientation leader, sleeping is put on the back burner. Instead, you'll be spending your time networking and in sessions teaching you how to be a better leader and a more professional person all around. You'll go on day trips for team building to state parks where you hike beautiful gorges or spend the day in the woods doing a ropes course. You're in college, you probably know how to work best in teams and who needs to make connections in the professional world, you're not graduated yet, am I right?
Decorations
No one needs that for the real world. Sure it's super fun and a unique skill but so what? You can hire someone to make balloon bunches and arches, why learn how to do it? It's definitely nice to hear the parents and students comment on the balloon arches and all the balloons lining most of the pathways, and I know it made me feel super welcome on move-in day, but eh, is it really that important?
Breaking Out of Your Shell
A huge part of Orientation is encouraging people to reach the end of your comfort zone. But there's a reason it's called your comfort zone. It's what you are used to, what you like. And it's hard to leave that. And people will keep quoting Neale Donald Walsch at you, "life begins at the end of your comfort zone," but why leave? But with Orientation, it gets you to a new level, a new comfort zone, it encourages you to change.
Pressure
You are the first faces that parents and new students see upon arrival. You swarm their car with smiling faces to help them move in to their rooms. You need to be smiling and be able to think quick on your feet because things do not always go as planned. In fact, it is guaranteed that something will change at the last second. That's a lot of pressure to have on your shoulders. The students in your group are going to be counting on you to help them through the beginnings of their college career. You'll show them the traditions and what it means to be a student at your college. It's your job to help them feel comfortable and happy and answer their questions. To show them how amazing your campus is and why you love it here. And help them love it too.
So. Many. Friends.
The number one reason to not be an orientation leader is because of all the people you are going to make friends with. Who needs more friends? Especially ones that you never expected to get to know. You'll find that the OLs are passionate, caring, and reliable. I mean, they're not even being paid to be part of orientation, they're just volunteering. Who needs friends that put others before themselves. It's summer, they could be doing whatever they want. Plus, after making all these friends, it is going to be hard to explain your inside jokes to your friends who weren't OLs this summer. And don't even get me started on planning your schedule. How are you going to fit all those dinner dates, movie nights, and mini-golfing outings in? It's exhausting really.
Being an Orientation Leader was one of the best choices I have ever made. I became friends with the most unexpected of people, and now they're a few of the most important people in my life. I broke out of my shell and have started to build myself up to who I really want to be. Becoming an Orientation Leader is a huge stepping stone to achieving your dreams, goals, and ambitions. So if you don't care about that, then really, don't be an orientation leader.
