<p>2 recommendations... Firstly, try to do early arrival if you can. You meet a lot more people that way and by the time everyone's there the next day the place feels like home already. Secondly, don't go to carpe noctem or whatever it's called, it's not fun and there's a ton of things to do in the area and you'll be able to find parties if you want to.</p>
<p>Just a little advice!</p>
<p>so u ditched the activity and went to a party? don't they like...supervise you?</p>
<p>There's not many parties in the summer .. but you do have the freedom to do whatever you want.</p>
<p>You can probably ditch the whole entire orientation if you want, they won't really care. I mean, it's your 300 bucks. I liked Carpe Noctem btw. It was fun. :)</p>
<p>First day... you'll be hanging out with your o-group. </p>
<p>Second day... you're on your own to attend workshops and stuff.</p>
<p>Yup. They could care less if you turn up missing in those activities where attendance is not taken, which is like most things.</p>
<p>what's carpe noctem? (I understand the translation, but what do you do?)</p>
<p>its a midnight scavenger hunt. you get in groups of 10, they give you 10 clues and a polaroid camera. you try to figure out the clue, go to that place, and take a picture of your group in front of it. first group to get back with all 10 clues correct wins a prize. last year it was something like a UCLA hoodie and something else for each group member.</p>
<p>i thought it was pretty fun too. but then there are people who consider getting drunk fun, so to each their own.</p>
<p>that sounds pretty much (well, exactly) like what we did for the alumni scholar's weekend. it was fun, but I'm not sure I'd want to do it again (I think I have a feel for westwood, if the aim of the mission is to aquaint new students to the town). that's good to hear that we can do things on our own though, if we want.</p>
<p>Carpe Noctem is a scavenger hunt on campus, not westwood. So Pharaoh, it won't be the same thing.</p>
<p>Pharaoh was talking about skipping the scavenger hunt</p>
<p>Orientation is seriously optional. Its just UCLA's way of making 300 bucks off of you.</p>