Whether they admit it or not, First Years are thankful for the one-week ordeal that is orientation. Yes, at times it’s tedious and a bit repetitive, but all of the information is important, from campus safety lectures with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and learning what CYC stands for (and why you definitely want to get your Charting Your Course points), to having time to learn the campus without upperclassmen and getting to meet everyone on your floor.
Beyond the onslaught of information, orientation is also a chance to learn the tips and tricks of surviving on campus. Here are a few of the seemingly insignificant, but definitely useful, facts you may or may not have picked up on during orientation.
1. The Bathroom Lights are on ‘Cinderella Time’If you like to shower during the day, never have midnight bathroom runs, or just may not have noticed, if you find yourself in the bathroom late at night, this is important to note. There are two sets of lights: One set that is on all day and goes off automatically at night, and one set that can always be controlled by a switch. If the switch is off when the automatic lights go down, the bathroom will be dark. This can be an issue if you get into the shower while the automatic lights are on, and are still in the shower when they switch off. My roommate learned that the hard way, her mind immediately flashing to the horror scene sequence with an innocent girl and a serial killer who cut the power. Moral of the story: if you go to take a shower late at night, make sure the switch is on.
2. There are condoms in the vending machines.Although I will not be using vending machine condoms for some time (absolutely no judgment to those who do), the significance here is that part of orienting yourself is learning where to get food. Yes, there are the obvious answers like Servo and Bullet Hole, but snacks are a necessity too. When learning your surroundings then, you may have taken note of all the vending machines and their contents. There are Doritos® in the first floor vending machines of your residence hall, you can get pretzels from machines outside the ground floor library entrance, a box of pencils or a stapler from inside the library, and of course, as aforementioned, you can get condoms in almost all of them.
3. What’s Around TownGettysburg is a charming town that oozes history. You can tour the battlegrounds, visit the site of the Gettysburg Address, go ghost hunting or explore President Eisenhower’s homestead; all of which draw thousands of tourists each year. Hardly sounds like the description of a college town.
However, if you explore the town a bit more, you are sure to find lots of things for college students to do. There’s the Majestic Theater (where all First Years were lucky enough to attend a free screening of Jurassic World), The Ugly Mug (just one block off campus, an excellent place to study and get some in-house roasted coffee or mason tea), the famous Mr. G’s Ice Cream Parlor (trust me, it’s worth the wait), Sweeet! (where you can have a throwback Thursday with all kinds of retro candy) and Treat Yo’ Self (for some good, old fro-yo) and so much more! If you haven’t already, get off campus and explore the town— it’s worth it.
4. What GTB stands for.It’s Go The Bullet if you weren’t aware. It’s important to our school’s spirit.
5. Lite Fair has milkshakes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.Ah, Lite Fair. That glorious time in between lunch and dinner when Servo is still open (albeit, with less options). Lite Fair is great if you have classes during designated meal times, but if you only want to go to Lite Fair on certain days, Tuesday and Thursday are your best bet because they have milkshakes those days! Plus, First Years can swipe into Servo an unlimted number of times. You’re welcome. So, if you have a milkshake craving on a Tuesday or Thursday, grab some friends, swipe in and have yourselves a nice tall one; there’s no judgment for just swiping in for a milkshake. We applaud you.