Blog Post Two

5 TIPS FOR OVERCOMING ORIENTATION WEEK JITTERS

Transitioning into your first year of college is a lot like trying to jump onto a moving freight train. At first it seems impossible, and you may fail on the first few attempts, but once you’re on board and moving safely with everyone else, you carry on and never look back. Here’s how to land on the train with ease, even when it’s going at top speed during orientation week.

Be open-minded

You’re not in high school anymore. You will be meeting hundreds—or thousands—of people from all over the world with entirely different backgrounds from yours. You cannot simply dismiss someone as a potential friend because of how they dress, look, or talk. Forget any inherent or developed biases you may have and accept everyone for who they are. And equally important, be willing to give people second chances. Everyone will make a subpar initial impression at some point, including you, so give them another opportunity to display their real self. If by the second time your feelings have not changed, then feel free to move on and make other friends.

Avoid your own worst enemy: your room

It is absolutely critical that you spend the vast majority of your time outside your room. Yes, you want to decorate your room to perfection. Yes, you want to (and should) actively try to establish a solid foundation with your roommate. But missing the opportunity to meet hundreds of other potential friends because you’re staying in and exclusively limiting your time to one friend, or just to the people in your hall, will prevent you from thriving in the broader social sphere of college. Go to the gym, take a stroll across campus, grab a bite in the cafeteria. If you like your roomie/hallmates, include them in your ventures.

Be you

Or be someone else. But if that’s the path you choose, you’ll soon find yourself trapped in a friend group consisting of people with entirely different personalities, views, traits, etc. than those you’re used to. This is a completely ineffective strategy in the long run because, unless you are willing to recondition your persona altogether, you will be forming fake bonds with individuals dissimilar to you. On the other hand, if you have the courage to be your true self, you will eventually, if not immediately, find lots of friends who care about the same things you do.

Don’t compare yourself

Freshman orientation is not a popularity contest, nor a competition. Sure, there may be a friend group who is bigger and seems “cooler” than yours. So what? Colleges don’t host orientation events for students to compete over who can gain the most friends in the shortest amount of time. Rather, they have orientation so that students can meet as many people as possible and get a legitimate chance to see who they resonate with and value the most. It’s the quality of your friends that matters, not the number.

Enjoy the ride

Stop worrying. As you’re reading this, I can feel your stress weighing down on me. Orientation is meant to be an enjoyable experience! Those that relish it will have the best time, meet the right people, and head into freshman year ready for anything. Keep your head up and show off your enthused attitude. You’ve totally got this.