<p>I'm heading out to UM in July for orientation and wanted to know if anyone had any general tips or tips for packing / what to bring. Thanks!</p>
<p>3 days of clothes
toothbrush, toothpaste, twin cover sheet
laptop (if you want it)
any study notes for placement tests, pens, pencils
wallet, ID, money
and extra space in your suitcases so you can buy souvenirs/clothes</p>
<p>They give you the packing tips on the website and in your confirmation letter so I won’t comment on those. I just went on mine so I’ll give you some general tips.</p>
<p>First of all, don’t stereotype people. I know it’s hard to avoid this, but be open to talking to different people. I had multiple instances in which the person I thought was either a stereotypical nerdy bookworm, frat guy, or sorority girl turned out to be completely different than expected. Be prepared to have basic conversations (where are you from, what do you want to major in, etc.) with tons of people. People are smart here, it’s Michigan after all, so don’t be afraid to show your intellectual side; I had many deep conversations about a wide range of topics. However, don’t come off as overly erudite or cocky. Also, this is definitely not the time or place to brag about your High school ECs or academic accomplishments. You should talk about your background in terms of helping others learn about you, but don’t be that obnoxious kid who says they were president of this or that, got this ACT score, or that GPA. Be humble.</p>
<p>Moreover, DON’T skip the play on the first night. The first day is long and tiring and many people (including me) complained about having to go see a play from 7-9 PM. A decent number of kids skipped. Please don’t, I wasn’t expecting it, but the play was AMAZING and makes you super pumped to be a wolverine. It’s also very informative. </p>
<p>Furthermore, go into orientation with at least somewhat of an idea of the classes you want to take. Look through the course guide and maybe teach yourself how to backpack a few classes on Wolverine Access. I went in with my schedule almost completely chosen, which made the second night a breeze for me. Those who didn’t look at anything before coming were REALLY stressed out the second night (when you have to pick all your classes). </p>
<p>With regard to placement tests, the most important one, by far, is the language placement. With math, they also look at your HS grades and AP scores; everyone must take freshman english anyways the placement just determines which specific class; the results for chem are almost predetermined (if you didn’t take AP chem you will have to take Chem 130, if you did [then the test becomes more important] you need a good score to get into Chem 210, although everyone I talked to who did AP chem thought it was really easy, while everyone who didn’t take ap chem failed, holla at my 43%!). Now, back to language: Every LSA student needs 4 semesters of language and a single 45 minute test determines how many of these semesters you have to take. 4 semesters worth of a language takes up a lot of room in your schedule and it would be a shame to have to take more than you should have because of a poor placement exam. Therefore, try your hardest and maybe study a LITTLE before coming (just basic verb structures, etc.)</p>
<p>Additionally, you have to accept that kids will be going out to get high/drunk. If that’s not your thing it’s 100% okay (it’s not really my thing, although I did, briefly, go to a frat party, but I didn’t drink there, we just wanted to check it out), but don’t be surprised/alarmed if your roommate comes back at 2 AM in a less than ideal state of being(like mine did). If this is your thing, be safe and try to get back at a reasonable time, like 1 AM. You don’t want to be the guy/girl who gets a bad rep for getting too drunk or hooking up with someone so seriously be responsible. </p>
<p>Finally, BE YOURSELF, as cliche as that line is. Have fun! I had a blast at my orientation, although I left exhausted, and now I’m even more pumped to be a wolverine.</p>
<p>EDIT: Wow, how could I forget this. Your roommate for orientation literally doesn’t matter at all. Many people didn’t even see their roommate until bedtime the first night because people arrive and unpack over the course of an hour. Also, you are almost never in your room and we all have slightly different schedules depending on your academic unit. I literally only talked to my roommate 3 times with a total of 3-5 sentences per convo so if you get a bad roommate don’t freak. On the other hand, don’t be that kid who tries to attach him or herself to a roommate like a leech. When the real year starts, getting to know your roommate and hanging out around them for a little while is important, but this is a 2 night orientation so it’s irrelevant.</p>
<p>i would recommend no laptop, because then you’re forced to mingle. i met a bunch of awesome people at orientation. you should, too!</p>
<p>WHAT TO BRING TO ORIENTATION:</p>
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<p>don’t be that kid who talks about how many AP credits he has or how high his GPA is or how easy high school was</p>
<p>no one is impressed</p>
<p>Gonna be honest, I’m gonna brag… About my pro xbox/computer gaming skills =p
I agree with your statement, I’d rather first get to know someone’s personality/interests as opposed to their grades and other crap.</p>
<p>Hi guys! I have some questions regarding orientation that are quite urgent. Unfortunately, I never properly read my emails and therefore missed some important details.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I forgot to submit a photo for my M-Card two weeks ago. Since I won’t have my stuff on file in time for orientation (its on Monday) when will I get my card?</p></li>
<li><p>I thought I had submitted my Writing Placement Test a while ago but when I was checking over everything today I saw it NEVER submitted and I have no clue why. They said if it is not submitted on time, I won’t get a seat in a first year writing class! Is there anything I can do? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>PLEASE LET ME KNOW soon! Thank you!</p>
<ol>
<li> It will be mailed to you I’m pretty sure, or you’ll get it at the beginning of the year, not really a big deal.</li>
<li> I never did the writing placement test, got into a first year writing class, did well in it, and have to this date never done that damn essay. My advice, you most likely won’t need it (I don’t know of anyone who actually used there’s). Don’t freak out about it, the only awkward part is not having the questions at the bottom answered for you advisor (advising for LSA is meh, I’d recommend doing a lot of your own research for classes. If you need any advice feel free to PM me).</li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions!</p>
<p>octoberry, i’m pretty sure they take your pic at orientation & give you your mcard there.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for answering my questions, I really appreciate it!</p>