Orientation

Move in day. All of my stuff eventually (finally) got organized, arranged, rearranged and then rearranged one more time. Then came the scariest part: leaving my family and walking into Memorial Auditorium alone to try and scope out my orientation club. My hands were shaking and my heart was beating so loud, I was convinced everyone in the auditorium could hear it as I walked up the seamlessly ending staircase to my club. Club 14. Our theme was Red Bull, and our slogan was "Jacked on Taurine with Club 14!"

The fear soon melted into happiness. I was surrounded by 21 other scared-shitless Freshman and slowly, we all morphed into friends. Orientation was long and tiring and though part of me was so happy to toss my beanie with 600 other people and finally start classes, another part of me missed the camaraderie and excitement of the first few days. They packed our schedules so full that there was no time to fathom being lonely but after they cut us loose, the loneliness was starting to emerge. The advice I would give to first year students is this: make friends the first couple days. Lots of friends. And spend time with them, even after orientation is over and classes start, because it really does make a difference.