How to Survive Your Orientation

This is the second of a multiple-part series (how many parts is yet to be determined) regarding everything an incoming freshman might need to know about their first year in college. While there are some examples that will be UF-centric, most freshman can ascertain what they need to apply specifically to their school. I will try, regardless, to bring in examples from as many schools as I can.

UF calls it Preview. FSU and everywhere else calls it Orientation. Some universities simply round everyone up a week before classes start and do orientation that way. Some do orientations throughout the summer. Some do both. UF does both. Why, who the hell knows. But there’s Preview + Convocation. FSU does the same…although at least there’s no common reading program divying up to do.

Either way you’ll come out of it thinking “hell”. Probably.

But is Orientation really that bad? I mean after all you get to truly see what the campus is all about, right? And you get to sign up for your classes and all, and you’ll have your schedule nice and perfect right? And you’ll get to meet new friends which will be your friends for a lifetime, RIGHT?

WRONG.

Here’s what UF officially says about Preview:

Preview is designed to acqaint you with university resources. We know that coming to college is a big step. It helps to have some time to get to know your way around campus.
Staff will orient you to campus landmarks and buildings. You also will be introduced to university protocols – the do’s and don’ts of freshman life – academic, institutional and social. In no time at all, you will become a part of and take pride in the UF community.
One of the most exciting aspects of Preview is registering for your first term. You will receive a personal academic advising session before you register, where you will learn about academic requirements and the procedures for registration.

 

Registering, I’ll put it bluntly, ain’t exciting for a good chunk of people.

Here’s what FSU says:

Orientation is designed to help students transition to college and assist family members in understanding their students’ experience during this exciting time. Entering an academic community is an important, and sometimes stressful, time in a person’s life – let us help you along the way. The Office of New Student & Family Programs is excited to share this experience with you and can’t wait to introduce you to The Florida State University community.

 

And, lastly, here’s what UCF says about their “Knighting” sessions:

Because we want you to be successful in college, all Freshman Undergraduate Students are required to attend The Knighting, a two-day Orientation Session prior to registering for classes. The Orientation program assists students and their parents with the transition to UCF. Each session lasts from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 9:00 p.m. on the first day and 8:00 a.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m. on the second day. Students will register for classes at Orientation; however, it is helpful to have reviewed the class schedule prior to attending Orientation.

 

All three are very similar, but UCF’s would’ve freaked me out the most for sure because it’s the only one that actually says that students should have “reviewed the class schedule prior to attending Orientation”. Really UCF? The school that unofficially stands for “U Can’t Finish”? But maybe it’s a good thing, kind of a trial by fire but given enough advance notice. Because UF basically tells you, via advising sessions, what to do right before you actually attempt to register. So, by at least warning students to review class schedules prior to Orientation, maybe UCF is doing the right thing here.

Anyway, registration is the only part you’re really looking forward to. Everything else is all about ice-breakers with people you probably won’t run into in your lifetime. Half of my Preview group I never saw again, and the other half I’ve barely seen around campus, let alone been in direct contact with any of them at all. (Don’t get me wrong Preview-Staffers-That-I-Know. You’re doing a good job. But in the end it’s futile 99.9% of the time). Other things are all about the “dos and don’ts”, and half of the don’ts you probably will do anyway regardless of how much trouble you might get in.

Some of the “breakout” sessions you might go into actually might prove to be useful. For instance, the Pre-Med breakout sessions will probably help alleviate your initial fears and worries about what classes you should take. The key words in that above sentence are initial fears. Mind you, some pre-med advisors can be total jokes, so choose carefully and prudently. If your orientation leader happens to be pre-med, pre-law, whatever that your interest is, be sure to grill them about it. That’s what they are there for.

Going back to registration though, the blunt truth needs to come out: you’ll hate it. You’ll be lucky to get into the classes you like. You’ll be even luckier if you get the times you like…aka not early in the morning. But if you do end up with a bad scenario in either case, PLEASE don’t whine to your orientation leader or whoever is helping you set up your schedule. In most cases we can’t really do anything about it and even if we could, we have to get dozens of other people with their schedules up and running as well. We realize that 7AM or 8PM classes are crap…we’re not lifeless beings (OK, I am, but most other peopl aren’t). But you might as well get used to it because one of your classes later on in life will be an early morning or late night one.

As for actually attending your breakout sessions…it’s up to you. Technically I’m supposed to claim that at UF if you don’t attend certain preview sessions we can place a hold on your record which basically means you can’t register. For most colleges, if you don’t attend your orientation at all there’s some sort of hold on your record. Enforcement, however, is varying.

Anyway, this is just a vague overview which pertains a little more to UF. Have any questions? Go call up whoever runs anything for incoming/matriculating students. Or just comment/ask away here.

Hopefully the upcoming parts of this series will look something like this:

• The Cheap Version of the book The Naked Roommate. AKA: how to deal with your roommate.
• Meal Plan: good idea or clever ruse to get your money?
• To Greek or not to Greek?