<p>so I'm going to be a 1st year at college soon ! :) I'm really excited, but worried at the same time. Mostly, I'm scared about not finding my niche and making friends. I know orientation week at colleges are supposed to help first years meet people and make friends, but from older friends, I heard that the people you "become friends" with during orientation week become acquaintances once class starts. Like you'll say hi when you meet in the hallways but that's about it. The friends you stick with throughout the year are the ones made in your classes and in your residence hall and through mutual friends. Orientation friends are temp friends.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s mostly true. A lot of times, you might meet some new people at an orientation event, switch numbers, and make plans to hang out in the future but eventually you just forget. Res halls are the easiest places to find your close circle of friends because those people will always be around and available to hang out and chat.</p>
<p>I didn’t. What happened with me is we clung together, in the most irritating and suffocating fashion, all during orientation and then never/rarely saw each other again. And when we did, it was those awkward, “um…hi”-smalltalk moments.</p>
<p>I met most of my friends in my major classes, because we were all in the same major, we usually were in to the same the same things.</p>
<p>I don’t think I talk to anyone I met at orientation still. I talked to one guy because he was on my floor first semester, but then when we were forced to switch dorms never talked to him again. </p>
<p>Met most of my friends either in class, in the dorm, or just random events, even some in the dining hall, haha.</p>
<p>yeah i’m in a summer program right now for my school and i don’t like anyone here… well i know i will probably won’t hang with them again. you make most of your friends later like on in class or in clubs like intramural teams.</p>
<p>if you’re lucky enough to find a good friend that’s cool. don’t bet on it though</p>
<p>One of the guys I met at orientation ended up being my flat-mate. We are also studying in the same major though, so I had a chance to hang out with him a lot after orientation.</p>
<p>I ended up hanging out with these two girls for both days of orientation. After orientation, we exchanged numbers and thought it’d be cool for us to hang out again during the year. Never happened. I saw the girls here and there. I actually ran into one of the girls before dinner and she asked me if I wanted to grab a bite to eat with her, but I said I was busy and I haven’t seen or heard from her since.</p>
<p>I actually met someone from here at my orientation. At my orientation I didn’t know he was a member here, I figured it out from something he said.</p>
<p>My son made a friend that he hung out with during the first month or two of school. After orientation, they had talked about becoming roommates, but I kind of discouraged it. My thinking was that they needed to meet other people and if the roommate was really bad, at least they’d have each other. The other kid got the bad roommate, so knowing my son helped. After the first month or two, you will so many new friends that it’s hard to find time to see them all.</p>
<p>The guy I roomed with for orientation ended up living in my hall freshman year so we hung out a little bit, but that was all. The thing is that the people during orientation are an absolutely random assortment of people, not grouped by proximity (roommate, hallmate, etc.), interests (clubs, meeting people at plays) or major (classes) so you’re less likely to meet someone there that you get along with well than basically anywhere else.</p>
<p>My French teacher said he met a girl during orientation. They both happened to be majoring in French and after they talked, they’ve been best friends ever since. I guess it all depends on the amount of time you guys see each other during school. I had a 9th grade orientation and for those two days, I only hung out with this one guy. After it was over, I only saw him twice 9th grade year and once 10th grade year and we only gave each other a smile and a wave while passing through the halls. Our “friendship” ended because we had no classes or lunches together and I didn’t have his phone #. I think he moved during 11th grade year.</p>
<p>So basically the only people who became real “friends” with people they met at orientation were people who were in their classes/dorms later on. Okay. </p>
<p>so the best advice is to not get all hung up about trying to make lots of friends during orientation and wait to make good relationships with classmates/dorm mates? I have quite a few friends stressing out about orientation and making friends, like me. Hopefully we can rest assured. any other interesting stories? :P</p>
<p>At my school, your orientation group is made up of people who live on your floor. So yes, you do stay friends. Haha. I actually was just looking at a picture of me and one of my current best friends taken one year ago at the embarrassing Vegas Night orientation costume party. Yikes.</p>
<p>they were completely transient. During orientation everyone is scrambling to find their little clique or niche. Most students are extremely vulnerable and self concious when they first arrive and are as a result way too friendly, welcoming and outgoing. The friendships that form are the result of this temporary state are shallow and don’t last because they generally are a result of the desire to conciously make friends and belong to a group. Real friends just happen usually when you don’t expect it, everyone else is just a contact to trade favors with. After a few days or weeks after orientation you realize you have very little in common with them and you naturally will find people you can relate with.</p>
<p>Orientation is a really strange and awkuard event for most people. Just push through it and before you know it real college begins.</p>
<p>I remember I ended up befriending a bunch of theater and drama students who wouldn’t stop quoting The Princess Bride. After about 3 days I had enough and never spoke to them again because it became quite clear we had absolutely nothing in common.</p>
<p>jdp makes some very good points. My son said a couple of the guys he hung out with at orientation were “trying too hard” and he didn’t like them because of it. So the lesson learned is “Try to be yourself. If you make some lasting friends, that’s great. If not, you’ll still be fine.”</p>
<p>I’m still friends with some of the people I met through Facebook <em>before</em> orientation. I’m still friends with some of the people I met at school <em>after</em> orientation.</p>
<p>I don’t really have many friends that I met and hung out with <em>during</em> orientation. I do have several that I met briefly during orientation but didn’t really hang out with until a month or two later.</p>
</p>