<p>I've just gotten back from my college orientation, and feel like I don't belong at the University that I'll be attending in the fall. </p>
<p>Currently I'm undecided about what my major is going to be, so I was placed in "Undergraduate Studies." </p>
<p>As I sat in my general class advising session yesterday and listened more and more to what the counselor said, I just had a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and couldn't stop thinking, "What am I doing in this room? I don't belong here." </p>
<p>On the first day I tried to be open minded towards the ice-breaking activities, meeting new people, getting to know my orientation small group. But over the 2nd and 3rd days I just couldn't wait to leave. </p>
<p>I don't think the school fits my personality at all. I don't think the importance of academics was mentioned once. It was all "RAH! RAH! RAH! School Spirit! GO MEAN GREEN! !!!!" Seriously, isn't college supposed to be awesome and intellectual, where you have deep discussions and nurturing thought? It seems like all everybody here wants is to party or join a frat/sorority, etc. </p>
<p>My thought was to tough it out for one year, and then transfer out to a school that fits me better.
Any thoughts? Please? :/</p>
<p>The people who organize the orientations suck, not the school itself.</p>
<p>You will like the people and college itself when school actually starts. My sister told us her orientation sucked last year. Totally unorganized and not fun. But she loves the school now, however.</p>
<p>It sounds like you might just be nervous. Are you a Freshman? Most freshman do have that party idea at least in the back of their mind when they enter college. There will be people their that suit your personality, it just takes some time on your part to find that niche.</p>
<p>If you really feel strongly about it then you can enter a community college (if your a freshman) and transfer after, in fact you can work your butt off and get into a better school, save money, after 2 years. Some might say you might miss out on 2 years of the freshman experience but its all up to you.</p>
<p>Another option is staying there for your first 2 years and transferring to another place, again assuming you are a freshman, but this is much more difficult to do then from a community college.</p>
<p>Trust me, you’ll get a chance to do that. The thing is, it’s hard to really fit those things in a school cheer. Orientation week at most colleges are pretty much all the same ,and they usually have nothing to do with the actual atmosphere at the college. After a week or so, you’ll get a chance to have deep discussions, rush a frat/sorority, or both.</p>
<p>I think at orientation they’re just trying to get everyone all excited and set them up to get involved. I’m sure things will settle down and become more “intellectual” once you get to the classroom. </p>
<p>Also, orientation is like summer camp, so for those of us who are less extroverted and hyperactive, the endless schedule of social activities can be tiresome and boring. Actual day-to-day life on campus will be a lot different, I’m sure. And you’ll be able to choose the socializing you do, so I’m sure you’ll find plenty of other kids who, like you, are interested in more than partying or greek life.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree they’re trying to get people excited about the school, and most people get excited about school spirit stuff–not so much about academics, so what do you think they’re going to use to get people excited to attend? </p>
<p>I’ve heard that most orientations suck, and that doesn’t mean you’ll hate the school when it starts.</p>
<p>I’d stick in there and go to the school this fall with an open mind. If you still feel that way after a semester, then transfer, but at least give it a try because it will probably be a lot better.</p>
<p>I’m a freshman this fall too and am sure orientation is just going to be stupid, and that school will be better after it starts.</p>
<p>I appreciate everyone who responded thus far! Yes, I’m going to be a college freshman at UNT (University of North Texas).
Maybe it is just nerves, but I just can’t get over the feeling that going to this school is one big compromise. </p>
<p>I applied to a few other schools this past year and this was the only one that I was legitimately accepted into. UT Austin gave me CAP, U. Minnesota waitlisted me, and those are the only schools I applied to (what a stupid idea…) </p>
<p>Basically I really screwed up grade wise in HS and couldn’t get in anywhere else (even with Nat’l Hispanic Scholar) and ended up at a school that feels below my academic abilities. </p>
<p>GAH! I just don’t know how to explain my feeling, but it’s just there eating away at me. I went to visit the campus a few times and drop things off at buildings/offices, but never a formal tour. Everyone I know who goes there (pretty much half of my graduating class… it’s 20 minutes up the highway.) told me how great it was and that I’d have sooooo much fun… </p>
<p>Really, to be completely honest the schools that really interested me the most were LAC’s, U. Penn, Pitt, and U Chicago, and NYU… not a 2/3’s commuter school.</p>
<p>Orientation is just a bunch of high school kids excited for college parties. Once summer passes and school starts, the attitude will change. I felt out of place during Orientation, even as a partier/social person, because I went to it expecting it to be all about classes and freshman year, not all the dumb activities. But I love this college now.</p>
<p>Yeah, to echo what the others have said, orientations suck. From the four days of my freshman orientation, I got about 2 hours of useful information. My school is fairly strong academically but also has a HUGE football program, so the orientation was more of a 4-day long Rah-Rah School Spirit 101 type thing where everyone went out and got hammered at frat houses every night. My group advising thing at orientation sucked too. </p>
<p>Likely you’ll find some other freshmen who are in the same position as you - befriend them. Failing that, go speak with a counselor, UNT probably has free counseling for students. If at the end of your freshman year you don’t like it, there’s the very feasible possibility of transferring.</p>
<p>My boyfriend is a rising senior at UNT! (I thought I was the only one on CC from the area :)) And yes, it’s a big commuter school, but if you really dig in and get involved, there’s a very cool group of people there, with the huge arts/music crowd and everything. And they’re probably just trying to push the new freshman into school sprit, because honestly, most of the students could care less about the big state school hoo-rah stuff. What are you studying?</p>
<p>Yeah, they wouldn’t be like, “Academics! Yeah! Go Philosophy! Woo!” </p>
<p>People get excited about having fun - the general population does, anyways. So of course they’re all going to be pushing the school spirit stuff, and when you meet other people they all want to get out there and be social, so they’re going to talk about how they want to party. When you meet another person, what’s the most non-alienating thing you can say? How social you like to be. So lots of people are going to be in that mindset, even if they aren’t normally, and care more about academics once they’re settled down and found some support networks.</p>
<p>My advice would be to try to be as social and open-minded as possible, that way you will meet lots of people and have the best chance of making friends.</p>
<p>Orientation blows- don’t judge the school by it. Work hard and try to make friends while you’re there, and if you still feel like you don’t belong there after a year, then try to transfer somewhere else.<br>
Just don’t start school with the attitude that you’re not going to be there for long- it really doesn’t do you any favors.</p>
<p>@MedSchHopeful- I’m in "Undergraduate Studies (i.e. Undeclared) because I don’t know what to do. I don’t know whether I should do History, English, or something creative like Theatre. My head says to go with History or English, but my heart and soul demands Theatre and the like… My father would not be happy if I chose the later, as “that’s for fags.” </p>
<p>@RedSox- I tried to be social, I tried to talk to people. I swear I really did. I made a few friends but ended up eating alone half the time…</p>
<p>RoxSox, you’re trying to get him to be a conforming underachiever and I just won’t allow that. </p>
<p>Listen, kid, if you really want to transfer to any of the schools you listed, you better hole yourself up in your dorm room and study study study to get a high GPA. Also brown nosing your professors would help you get great recommendations. Good luck, but don’t party like RoxSox said because you’ll regret it down the line.</p>
<p>Your orientation doesn’t mean anything about how well college will go for you. I didn’t meet too many people there and was kind of a loner, but once I got to college it got a lot better. I think that happens for lots and lots of people. You’ll be okay, just try to be positive about it.</p>
<p>Thanks for talking me down, everyone. Perhaps it was the stress or lack of sleep (kept us up 'til midnight everytime…) that had me so frustrated. </p>
<p>At least I can be positive about my Schedule-
Anthropology, Sociology, Political Sci., a class for the undecided, as well as either English (may have AP credit) or some undetermined class. </p>
<p>Edit: maybe all I need is some sleep! I must sound like Moaning Myrtle in this thread… LOL! :)</p>
<p>I personally didn’t know how much of a fit I was for my school until more than a semester in. What I got from my freshman orientation was a couple friends, a walkthrough of how to register courses, and a little protection against getting lost on campus.</p>
<p>Continue keeping an open mind and see what opportunities come up.</p>
<p>The thing with most orientations is that they emphasize things such as school spirit and all the great things that are there, but they’re like inside jokes. They make absolutely no sense until you’re actually in and up-to-speed.</p>
<p>I also felt out of place at my orientation. I didn’t make any friends, I can’t remember anyone I met, I’m not sure if I got a good impression of the school. But whatever, I feel much more at home now that I’ve adjusted and met cool non-freshmen. In any case, you can still transfer if you’re still uncomfortable after a year or two. But be optimistic! :)</p>
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