Make the most of your college orientation

By Joshua O'Connell
Posted Monday, June 23, 2003

Summer's finally here, and with that comes, for a select group of students, college orientation.

My orientation at Fairfield University was full of interesting events, boring placement tests and a chance to meet people I would know for the next four years. There are a couple of things to know about college orientation that will help you make the most of it.

First, note that the school has done everything in its power to keep you moving from one event to the next, mainly to tell you what they want you to know. What benefits those attending orientation most, however, are the social events that allow bright-eyed incoming freshmen to meet new people. If there are options to choose from, and one is a social event, that is probably the one to attend.

One social event during my orientation was a gathering for those interested in one of the university's clubs. I was talking to someone and commented how one speaker we saw earlier in the day must use the same speech each year because he seemed to deliver it that way. It turns out she was his niece. Despite that, we're now good friends, and that wouldn't have happened if I didn't make her angry that first day. Be careful what you say, though; I still haven't quite lived that down.

Take advantage of the time you have to ask questions about what clubs and organizations exist on campus. If you have an interest in media like newspaper or radio, want to know what student government options there are for former high school class presidents, or want to see if they have a Monopoly night, ask around. Knowing what's there for you, and finding out what kinds of things are there that interest you, can make settling in easier when September arrives.

Most colleges have you spend at least one night on campus during orientation. When they herded us back to the dorms for a good night's rest, I stayed outside with a number of other people for about an hour and chatted about where we came from, why we chose Fairfield, and so on. I ended up meeting someone from my hometown who had actually gone to another high school in the area and lived right down the road.

Finally, bring a fan to keep yourself cool. When you're in a dorm room and it's 95 degrees, like I did, you'll probably appreciate bringing one heavy piece of machinery.

This column originally ran June 23, 2003 in the Connecticut Post.

 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page