It's easy to talk with a small group of friends. It's easy to sit alone and read this on your computer or phone. It's not easy to get in front of a group of seventeen strangers and dance your butt off. That's how I kicked off the experience for my Orientation Group this year. This year marks my second year as an Orientation Leader. Does that mean I am the most outgoing, most friendly, most bubbly, most spirited, most energetic, most enthusiastic person on campus?
No.
I have, however, grown immensely in all of those areas and have had some of the best experiences of my life doing so. Every student I run into, whether they are introverted, reserved, calm or focused on other goals, I recommend they apply for the position. Here are a five (of many) reasons why.
1. It is SO MUCH FUN.
Sure, there are parties on campus where people are dancing and laughing together, but that only lasts a few hours only to dissolve into the night sky. Training for orientation is essentially a week long dance party with some administrative business thrown in. Also, we feed off of each other's energy, so even though we have been consistently getting six hours or less of sleep for a full week, we feel as fresh as day one.
2. You grow as a person.
Before I got to college, I was pretty introverted and never really shared much about myself on any level. Now that I have gone through orientation three times - once as a student, twice as a Leader — I have become almost the opposite. I like my current self much better than I do my past self because I am simply a more comfortable person. I have more energy, a more positive outlook, and I'm more willing to make a fool of myself in front of a large group of people I don't really know. Most importantly, I have developed the ability to quickly adapt to unfamiliar and changing situations.
3. Your school spirit will increase.
Some schools are dripping with school spirit, but others? Not so much. Whether or not your school has it, becoming an Orientation Leader will increase your sense of spirit and knowledge about your school exponentially. You'll not only know interesting and obscure facts about your school's past, but all of the athletes will love the games you attend.
4. You gain critical social skills.
Whether or not we like it, interacting with people we don't know will be something we have to do for the rest of our lives. Whether it is a job interview or meeting new classmates, in order to meet with people and get to know each other we have to have the ability to speak with little to no background knowledge on the other people in the room. Being an Orientation Leader might not make you an expert on this, but at least it will make you more comfortable with how awkward these early interactions can get.
5. You meet people from all across campus.
Here's a college buzzword: networking. It is the bane of everybody's existence, but also a blessing to anybody who has a decent one. Becoming an Orientation Leader grants you access to an on-campus network of anybody and everybody involved in everything. Do you have a question about a club? Office? Professor? I might not have the answer, but I know about eighty other people who might.
These five reasons are not the only reasons to become an Orientation Leader. In fact, I could write encyclopedias, novels, or even an entire saga about how incredible it is to be a part of the Orientation program. Instead, I'll just hope these pictures of my incredible fellow leaders and my brief reasons will convince you enough how much of a good time it is!
