1. Your life becomes one giant dance party
You lose your actual mind dancing with your co-workers in front of 200 uncomfortable 18 year olds onstage in Kendall Cram and at Rock n Bowl on a Tuesday night. You become Beyonce, GRL, and Britney Spears as soon as the music comes on and are the most annoying instigator of a million beautiful freshman dance circles. You do it for you, you do it for them, and because your #1 job is to faciliate the moments that make Tulane the place where your students feel at home. Also, for my orientees who shunned the dance floor at Rock n Bowl – did you really come to New Orleans to BOWL? I have absolutely no idea why you thought this please get your body on the dance floor where it belongs.
2. You understand what real exhaustion means
There is nothing, I repeat nothing, like the feeling of complete bliss when your head hits your beautiful Butler pillow after day 1. After pushing and giving your entire body and soul to students and parents from 9 am to midnight, you hopefully got a break through moment after scenes, in your group’s groupme, or at Rock n Bowl/Mardi Gras world (even if they just laughed at your fart joke/hoola hoop dance moves) and are now going to pass out into a pizza induced coma until 7:30 am (peace to the world #swandive)
3. You memorize every possible campus student resource like it’s your job (it is your job)
From the Health Center to Reily to CAPS to the SOC, you become a Tulane bible. You know every single club, every accomodation that can be made, and start thinking so much about how each student can take advantage of these things and can find their place that you have to actively hold yourself back from planning out their 4 year schedule so you don’t seem like a 100% overinvested freak (we are all overinvested freaks – welcome to Tulane).
4. You learn how to talk to a brick wall
Have you ever thought you were too awkward to talk to normal people? That your’s were only the weirdos and freaks of the world? Turns out that the job where those two personality types intersect is at Orientation, where you can be an absolute reject of society and way too loud but also unable to speak without using run ons or making uncomfortable eye contact and your boss is okay with it and lets you sit down and talk to parents about the weather and their students for 2 hours over dinner without breaking a sweat.
5. You get a mildly creepy amount of social media followers
Once upon a time you were a typical Tulane student with a decent social media presence and then one day you woke up and your notifications looked like they belonged to Kylie Jenner. This is a little overwhelming but also one of the most helpful things in the world for remembering orientees/recognizing their faces considering you see over 1500 of them in one summer – Amanda, you went to the Cape last weekend? I absolutely do not care about your vscocam beach picture with your high school friends but hello Amanda next time I see you on campus I won’t awkwardly forget your name and have to say “AYYY WHAT’S UP GIRL????”
6. There will be that one song. And you will know every. single. word.
BUT IT’S SUCH A PIT, A BOY SO PRETTY, WITH AN UGLY HEART.
7. You strike up a personal, almost human relationship with Tulane.
By the time you finish this job, you start to feel like Tulane has entered a piece of your heart that you’ll both share forever, never to be quite the same when you are separated. Sort of like a horcrux but not evil or creepy. Sure. You know Tulane’s strengths, her weaknesses, her hardship, and you want her to be appreciated by newcomers and visitors, to understand the magic and complexity – holding her up on a pedestal that still shows her flaws. Ugh. ~*love*~
8. You experience the magic of being vulnerable again
Not only do you witness the beauty of your new students becoming vulnerable in front of their peers, you access an authentic part of yourself that you maybe haven’t interacted with since your own freshman orientation. It reminds you of what it’s like to be in their shoes, to be scared, to feel adventurous, and it allows you to bond with your co-workers and brOTLs in a way that is more deep and meaningful than you ever expected.
9. You gain 9 best friends (and 5 adult best friends, S/O to Brad, David, Josh, Penny, & Hil Bilz)
You drive 2 hours just for a Steak n Shake milkshake with these people. You share your stories at retreat and laugh and cry and push your limits (0 to 100 – real quick). You experience a bond and network of support that makes you feel like you can achieve anything – even getting an airbrush tattoo on your face.
10. It’s the best job you’ve ever had, maybe that you’ll ever have. Period.