Well, it has been a great summer. The volunteers are ready, the stage is set, all that's left is the performance. I'm confident that we will be able to provide a great Orientation week for all incoming students. We have done our best and this time I'm sure it is enough to allow students the opportunity to kick off college on the right foot.
But to fully appreciate Orientation you need to go at it with the right mindset. I have a decent grasp on what that mindset is, so I'll provide a little insight.
- Be open-minded. There are so many different classes to explore, cultures to experience, and people to meet. You'll have the opportunity to make new friends, take new classes, see new sights, and much more from the moment you arrive on campus. Take advantage of this!
- Become yourself. Don't just be yourself, become yourself. Coming to the University can be a new start. A new way to live your life. You can be that person you aspire to be. Want to get into better shape? Join the club teams or train at the on-campus gym! Want to become more sociable? Seek out the multitude of opportunities to do so! Want to achieve that 4.0 grade point average? Take advantage of the wonderful professors, teaching assistants, study groups, and other resources provided. And if you are already living life to your ideal, I'm sure the school will provide at least one positive change in one aspect of your life.
- Learn to be self-sufficient, but know when to ask for help. You don't need your parents for laundry any more. But if you just bombed your first big exam, you might just need some support. This is a huge part of collegiate life – knowing when to ask for help. For planning events in Orientation, I have needed tons of help. My own events would not have been adequately prepared without help from the wonderful staff here, and I'm not even taking about the 150+ other events which I do not consider my own. When it comes down to it, you should try to take the initiative and be a self-starter when appropriate.
- Always make some time for yourself. Do what it is that you enjoy, and have fun. You'll love your stay at the U of R so much more if you simply make time to do what you want. But with that, don't fall behind academically. At such a top tier university, it can be easy to let bad habits live on. Build study habits, go to class, and remember why you're here in the first place.
If you follow these, I can guarantee you will be loving life at the U of R in no time!
And as a bonus, here is an Orientation 'Call Me Maybe' video we made!