<p>When I first went to scholarship and honors interviews for my school (which was my safety school in case financial aid didn't work out for all the expensive schools I applied to...it didn't), I thought I was going to hate it. As it turned out, I met a few professors who were really nice and seemed to know a lot about their fields, and I also became fast friends with several other people interviewing. I remember telling my dad as we were leaving that I wouldn't mind going to school there, after all, even though a year before I had sworn I absolutely would not go to school there.
Fast-forward to this past June. I had a two-day orientation where you stayed overnight in a dorm, and I absolutely hated it. All I could think about was how ready I was to go home. Even though I talked to a few people, I didn't really make any friends, and I just felt like I was in the wrong place. Even worse, I found out I'm the only kid going into my major (writing and linguistics) on the honors track. I don't know what that means for my future classes, but it kind of worries me.
In a nutshell, orientation made me wonder if I chose the wrong college after all. Anyone who has seen my past posts on here knows that I wanted to go to Emory (I got accepted, but financial aid wasn't enough for us to afford it). I'm going to Georgia Southern instead, and sometimes I wonder why I didn't apply to UGA. I really like the writing program's set up and classes at GSU, though, and I don't think UGA even has a writing program. They have journalism, but that's not really what I'm looking for.</p>
<p>I guess what I'm asking is if orientation is a good picture of what your college experience will be like. I keep hearing people talk about how they had such a blast and made new friends and had all these amazing conversations with people, and that just didn't happen for me. Move-in is in about three weeks or so, and with each passing day I get more nervous, and worse, bitter about my school. I know I can supplement going to a sub-par school with study abroad and internships and knowing that I'll probably be near the top of my class, but I don't want to spend these four years being bitter about my school.</p>
<p>I can totally see where you’re coming from. I went to Orientation last week, and felt pretty much the same way. My orientation was a 2 day thing also. The people seemed decent and everything, but I didn’t really “connect” with anyone at all. After the first few hours, I just wanted to get my classes and get the hell out of there. It seemed that, at my orientation, pretty much everyone was having a good time and enjoying themselves except for me. I know that’s most likely my fault, and that I’m going to have to put myself out there in order to establish the types of connections and friendships with people that I’m seeking, but after orientation, it seems like it’s going to be a daunting task. It’d kill me if my college experience is going to be like what my high school experience, which I absolutely loathed, was.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about how your orientation went to be honest. I just finished my freshman year, and orientation feels like a million years ago. During orientation, I felt pretty lonely during the day, but during the evening activities I met a lot of cool people that I thought I would be continue to be friends with. I don’t think I’ve talked to any of those people since the school year started.</p>
<p>My point being…dont take orientation too seriously. The school year is so different, and I’m sure you’ll meet a ton of new people in your dorm!</p>
<p>I didn’t care for my school’s orientation, but I still liked my school. The thing about orientation is that it’s often a one-size-fits-all attempt to get you excited about college, and the same things don’t excite everyone about college. My college experience was nothing like my orientation, and I still had a good time. I also didn’t make any friends at orientation, and that’s fine. You don’t need to make amazing friendships with everyone you meet at college. It’s okay.</p>
<p>College is whatever you want it to be. Try to go into a school with an open mind and look for things in the school that you like. You can still do all of the things that you originally found interesting–make friends, talk to interesting professors, explore your field, etc. It’s not about people telling you to do this and go there, which is what I felt like orientation was. It’s about you doing whatever you want to have the college experience that you would like.</p>
<p>2 days is probably not enough to determine your 4 year college experience. Be positivie. College and life in general is what you make out of it.</p>
<p>What didn’t you like about orientation? Is this your first experience living in a dorm at a college?</p>
<p>Many freshman college students have an adjustment period, being home sick, first taste of independence, living in a dorm, etc, etc.</p>
<p>Once you are at school, you will meet students in your major and you will discover people on a par with you academically. Not many dummies studying linguistics or rhetoric. You might also meet some other students at honors events–friends don’t all have to have the same interests you do.</p>
<p>Once you are on campus, check out the bulletin boards outside your department office, and go to some of the posted events.</p>
<p>Make sure you also explore other new interests–don’t limit yourself and your friendship circle to people with the same interests as you, or you will not grow as a person. What has always seemed cool to you? Anthropology? International relations? Game theory ?</p>
<p>And not just new intellectual interests–try some new activities as well. Fencing? Ballroom dance? Kayaking? Public speaking? Politics? Try lots of new things, and make sure you go more than once. The first time you go, you may feel isolated and that so many of the others know each other already–because they do. But once you demonstrate more than initial interest in the activity, they will include you.</p>
<p>One other thing–you seem to be bitter because you are attending your financial safety. Don’t let that get in the way of your college experience. I can guarantee that you are not the only student on the campus because the school is the financial safety. Also, there will be some students on campus who might not have gotten in anywhere more prestigious because they slacked off in high school–who are now more mature and turn on their academic jets.</p>
<p>You will find company if you let yourself. Don’t talk yourself out of letting yourself have a good experience.</p>
<p>I don’t know what your orientation was like, but I remember mine. And literally, I never talked to anyone I met there again (besides a guy from high school that I already knew, an RM from my building who was an Orientation Leader, and my roommate). As for regular incoming freshmen like myself? Never.</p>
<p>Our orientation was set up so that about 200 freshman come each day for about a month. While I learned some new things about the school and got to talk to incoming freshmen, it really didn’t give me a picture of what my life at my school would be like or provide me with any long-lasting friendships.</p>
<p>So thus, as others have said, orientation shouldn’t define your college experience. It’s a part of it, but it’s so minor that I wouldn’t let it upset you. A lot of freshmen come away from orientation feeling insecure about their choice. It’s normal.</p>
<p>My husband and I know a number of people who sent their kids to Georgia Southern. The kids all seem to like it. I think once you get there you will be fine. Plus if you don’t you can transfer to another college later.</p>
<p>When I was a freshman, my university had two orientations. </p>
<p>One was during the summer for a weekend. It was to get signed up for classes, meet people, and junk. They let us stay in the nice dorms, which there was sooooo much difference than the dorms we were actually going to stay in during the school year. I didn’t like the orientation and thought the college was going to suck. Plus, it was my second choice university.</p>
<p>Fast forward to New Student Orientation the weekend before classes started… This was set up to get freshmen into the dorms, get aclimated, and to have summer camp-like activities. I hated this, too. It felt like a mixture of summer camp and going off to pre-school. Needless to say, I skipped most of the activites! Plus, our groups had to do a choreographed skit to a well known song, which was complete torture.</p>
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<p>Long story short, it took me a semester to get used to everything. I went through a stage of hating everything, but I got over it second semester and realized that I loved my university. I decided not to transfer out to my dream school, which turned out to be a wise decision. Now I can’t wait to get back to school to start sophomore year and my nursing program.</p>
<p>Give your school a chance and be thankful that you have the means to even go to college. It’s not your dream school, so you will probably have big regrets. These will diminish in time. You’ll acclimate and learn to love it. :o)</p>
<p>I absolutely hated my orientation too. I thought I must have been crazy because everybody was talking about how much they loved it and all the new friends they made. I made no friends and really didn’t enjoy myself- it was so bad that I left a day early!! I was dreading going to school after that. But when I actually went, I had an amazing experience. College is sooooo different from orientation. The experiences are night and day. I wouldn’t worry too much about orientation. I don’t think it’s an accurate portrayal of what college life is truly like.</p>