My Bobcat Student Orientation was a disaster. There, I said it. I spent the night at a not-so-local campsite, and drove over with my parents at 6 a.m. to get my photo taken for my ID. I clipped my hair back with two bobby pins, slathered on mascara, and messed with an irritable pimple as my dad’s large yellow truck swerved down the winding roads. I sleepily staggered over to Baker Center, travel mug in hand, and went about my day from there. I made one friend (she and I don’t talk to each other anymore). I was the last person in my group to finish scheduling my classes. I got lost, twice. I was bored nearly the entire time. My disaster was three (wow) years ago. I was a hot mess then, but I’m a smarter hot mess now. Here are 10 things I wish I knew before Ohio University orientation!
It doesn’t matter if you have a ton of older siblings who have gone to college before you, or if you’re a first generation student: BSO can benefit the ‘rents, too! They have “classes” where they learn about financial aid, academic policies, and health and legal procedures.
You can get discounted food from local eateries, as well as half price coffee from the beloved Donkey (which, by the way, you need to visit before you leave). Oh, you also get a ton of swag, too. You’ll have to talk to people for it, though.
Coupons. Coupons everywhere.
Smiling people passing out free samples of peppermint mochas? A wide selection of fruits and veggies? The finest dining hall Chinese noodles imaginable? Don’t get used to it.
Especially if they aren’t in your college or even major. You won’t see them in your classes or in your organizations, so keep in touch with them and grab dinner during opening weekend. As for people in your major, they’ll be in most to all of your classes: be nice, be cordial, be friendly.
That girl who seemed a little too spacey. That guy who kept getting lost. That other guy who didn’t want to be there. Yeah, you’ll likely never run into them on campus.
People get sloppy drunk at one of the many bars on Court. They hook up with the people they flirted with all day. Orientation just seems to be a time to make mistakes. Guess what? It doesn’t have to be. Be smart, be safe, yada yada yada.
More likely than not, you won’t venture far from Court Street. Make it your goal to get off campus at some point during opening weekend, if you get the chance!
It won’t look nearly as good as the photo you take with Rufus, but it can be nice. The cameras used tend to bring out any yellow tint in your skin, so keep that in mind when you’re choosing what to wear for your picture. Not a fan of the final product? The next time you lose your ID (it will happen a few times your freshman year, I guarantee it!), you can ask to get a new photo.
Free time only comes after the entire day is said and done. Everything else at Ohio University orientation is under the control of your orientation leaders (get on their good sides, by the way; they’re likely the leaders of organizations you want on your resume and in your portfolio).
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