<p>I live in NY, and airfare plus orientation fees add up to over 500 dollars for me... so i'm wondering if I would be all right if i didn't go; I can't afford it right now.</p>
<p>Is having priority when picking classes really that important?</p>
<p>I'm an arch. major, so most of my classes will be at a set time.</p>
<p>If you don’t have the money, then you don’t have the money, and your decision is very simple. It sounds to me like you have the money, but you’re just not sure if you want to go or not.</p>
<p>Here’s a little tip: you can register from home at your own computer as well. Just log in to web registration at about 3PM on the second day of any orientation session past your registration time.</p>
<p>Of course, you don’t have a registration date yet. If you go to orientation, then you’ll get one, which would be the second day of orientation. If not, your registration date will be a week before classes start.</p>
<p>You will have little trouble registering for your required classes. There will be spots available, but not necessarily in the specific sessions that you would prefer. GEs are another story however. If you don’t get in early, then you will not get the class. They hold some spots in every class for the incoming freshmen, but not many, and they will be snatched up quickly.</p>
<p>Hawk, really?</p>
<p>You say it sounds like the OP has the money but doesn’t want to go?</p>
<p>Didn’t he say “I can’t afford it right now.”</p>
<p>Living on the east coast too, he’s right, it’s not cheap.</p>
<p>Anyway I have no experience so I can’t help you, but I’m going and I have to really stretch the funds to go. I’m going alone probably.</p>
<p>My point was that if he doesn’t have the money, it doesn’t matter if it’s “alright” or not, he can’t go anyways.</p>
<p>You’re not going to be academically crippled if you don’t go to orientation, but it does serve a purpose and isn’t just a money sink.</p>
<p>^ I think OP is saying not necessarily saying he CAN’T afford it, but that it would present some financial hardship. Perhaps he may not have the money now, but he’s trying to find out whether it’s worth it so he can do something to get that money…</p>
<p>I’ve heard that’s harder to get classes if you don’t attend orientation, but then again you’re an arch major so I’m not sure if it would affect you as much as others. Other than registration though, I think orientation does provide a lot of other useful opportunities…meeting future classmates, getting more familiar with the campus, etc. Parents of current students in this forum have encouraged everyone to attend. Also, I remember you got a great financial aid package? PLUS Trustee 
So think about it this way: spending a few hundred dollars isn’t anything compared to the hundreds of thousands you’re saving at SC.</p>
<p>I hope it’ll be possible for you to go!</p>
<p>The two big reasons to attend Orientation are:
<ol>
<li> At orientation, you’ll meet a lot of your incoming class and it is simply a huge social hub. A perfect way to get acquainted with future friends. This is certainly true within certain majors, as you will be split into groups by College and spend time together with those in your major. So, for the first time, you’ll hang out with others with your exact college POV (major, career path), who are smart (hey, they got into USC), and who chose USC. Trojan power!</li>
</ol>
<p>Not attending sometimes cannot be avoided. Of course it will work out, but is it the ideal way to start your college life? Freshman year is freaky enough as it is, and adjustments to housing, roommates, study habits, pledging, partying, dating, Los Angeles, and independence take a toll. If a student has real financial hardship, don’t beat yourself up. You’ll make it, even if you have to miss Orientation. However, USC runs extremely smoothly. You rarely will hear a murmur about students not getting a class they want, let alone not getting one they need. The university registration system is amazing, and you’ll be instructed how to use it at Orientation. The reason USC’s ship runs so beautifully is they have figured all these complexities out and hold summer orientation. If cannot afford it, okay. That’s that. But if you can come, come.</p>
<p>Arctic, have you looked at this page? <a href=“https://sait.usc.edu/orientation/fees/waivers.shtml[/url]”>https://sait.usc.edu/orientation/fees/waivers.shtml</a></p>
<p>A fee waiver could save almost $100, which should help.</p>
<p>Yeah, while i could “afford” it, the cost of attending orientation added up with my senior dues, prom tickets and transportation, and airfare to USC for move in mean that my dad’s going to be out a lot of cash… and i feel guilty asking him for so much because he’s already in a lot of debt.</p>
<p>And yeah, even with the fee waiver that’s 400 dollars + transportation from USC/taxes and fees. So even though I could afford it, i wanted to know how much of an impact it’ll have on my schedule and whatnot.</p>
<p>But like madbean said, since architecture is a 5 year major, i should probably go to talk to my advisors and the dept. (especially since i plan on taking courses in business and chinese.)… so i’ll be looking for ways to make money via commissions for web design and stuff.</p>
<p>Call USC and asked them if it’s possible to attend the international orientation… since it’s right before move-in day, so you won’t have to pay for a double trip to USC… I’m not sure if this is possible but it’s worth the try.</p>
<p>^^
Excellent idea!</p>