WE'RE NOT as lucky as sea turtles. Humans aren't born with the instincts to head straight for the ocean and immediately begin paddling. Without first testing the waters and learning how to swim, we would sink. We must become accustomed to the world around us. The University's Summer Orientation program is an invaluable experience for incoming first years for precisely this reason.
Only in its second year, the program has proven to be quite a step up from the orientation process of old. New students used to arrive in the fall with little to no knowledge of life here at the University. They were awkwardly thrown into the mix and expected to learn enough in four days to last them for the next four years. They couldn't differentiate between Old and New Cabell Halls, and thought that the PHIL listed in the Course Offering Directory was the name of their professor.
Yet, by the first day of class only a few days later, they were expected to be well prepared to begin the life of a student. But now, thanks to Summer Orientation, rising first years will have two days during the summer to get their foot in Mr. Jefferson's door.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the orientation program is helping new students create a reasonable academic schedule - something students before the Class of 2003 were never taught how to do before they actually had to do it. Whereas students used to get a C.O.D. in the mail with nothing more than a "good luck" note, incoming first years have Orientation Leaders to sit down with them and talk them through the difficult process of course scheduling. This happens ahead of time, instead of in the fall, when they will simultaneously be concerned with looking good for their peers and figuring out how to hang a Backstreet Boys poster or swimsuit calendar without putting holes in the wall.
The students themselves prevent social stress in the fall simply by meeting and mingling with other first years who are in the same boat. Then, upon arriving in August, they'll see familiar faces and immediately feel like a part of the community. Running into that "hottie" in O'Hill that said hi to you at orientation surely will impress your new hall or suitemates.
Just by being on Grounds for two days in the summer, the incoming class will have some knowledge of where everything is. They'll avoid the mistake of looking for the auditorium at Campbell Hall before they actually have to go to classes in Cabell Hall. This understanding of their new community will help them feel more at home when they return in the fall, leaving time to meet more people and make any adjustments in their schedules.
The Summer Orientation program also offers a vast amount of information about life at the University. On day one of orientation, students will see presentations by student groups such as the Honor and Judiciary Committees and Student Council, and get encouragement from these groups to join in the fall. This allows them to get an early jump on planning the three years of résumé padding they'll need in their quest to eventually live on the Lawn.
There also is a Student Life panel that allows the incoming class to ask any question they wish of the Orientation Leaders, like which sorority has the best looking girls and which dining hall has the worst "food." Allaying some fears that the first years may have in the summer prevents a culture shock that could occur in the fall. If students know what they're getting into, they can come in feeling much more confident and ready to take on the challenges of their first year.
Summer Orientation covers many of the logistical aspects of first-year life as well. On the second day, there is a resource fair where students can explore 20 tables of information ranging from how to study abroad to how to contact a computer genius to set you up on the network. Finding out about these resources in the summer keeps students from panicking in the fall.
Summer Orientation calms anxious and concerned parents as well. After the first years get to ditch their nagging parents at lunch on day one, there is a separate schedule for parents. Their sessions cover everything from how much money the University will take from them to how much junk their child can fit into their dorm room. The orientation program helps prevent parents from contributing to the stress of starting college.
Granted, making a two-day trip to Charlottesville in the middle of the summer can be expensive and inconvenient. But it's worth it. Planning now will save time, energy and stress.
The Summer Orientation program does a good job of preparing first years for college, teaching everything from what to buy at Abercrombie to the frustrations of using ISIS. As time passes, it surely will distinguish itself as one of the best orientation programs around.
(Brandon Almond is a Cavalier Daily columnist and a Summer Orientation Leader.)
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