Congrats, you are officially a member of FSU’s Class of 2027! Your time at Florida State is going to be so much fun and you will make memories that will last a lifetime, but first, you have to survive freshman orientation, or as I like to call it “The Longest Three Days of your Life.”
There’s no point in sugarcoating it, freshman orientation is not fun, so here are some of my tips and tricks for making it through the event.
- Choose an early orientation
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Orientations start around late April/early May for Summer B students and Fall students start not long after that. I would highly recommend going to one of the early ones if possible. On the last day of orientation, you register for classes, which are first come first serve, and all rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors have already registered, so the earlier you can go, the better to ensure you can get the class you want.
- eat dinner before checking in
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The first day of orientation is just the evening but be sure to eat dinner before you arrive. Once you check in, you are fully on time for FSU orientation, which doesn’t include a meal or food on the first day, so be sure to eat prior to arriving. If you are there during May, there is very little open on campus, so you want to eat before, but you can wait till free time around 8 p.m. if you are there in June/July as those summer sessions are more popular and have more on-campus dining locations open.
- stay in the dorms
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Every student has the option to stay in the dorms at orientation, which is an opportunity you should take, especially if you have never stayed in one before. Last year, students stayed in dorms such as Dorman, Deviney, Wildwood, and DeGraff Halls, which are some of the nicer ones on campus. Even though it’s only two nights, you can start learning what it is like having a roommate and suitemates, you can even stay with a requested roommate upon check-in.
- do not get the meal plan
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When registering for orientation, do not get the meal plan offered. The food in the dining halls really isn’t that bad, but what they serve at orientation is awful. It’s $30 per person that you’ll never get back, and I still feel bad that I made my mom eat that for lunch. We ended up driving to a restaurant off campus for dinner, so do with that what you will.
- attend small group sessions
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Your time with small groups may seem like a waste, but you should attend. If you don’t, you won’t be able to register for classes on the final day of orientation. The leaders take attendance and do not joke around with it. One student in my advising session was told he would have to wait to register for classes in July because he didn’t attend small group, so definitely attend!
- engage in small groups
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The small group discussions and activities led by the orientation leaders may seem silly and childish, but trust me, it really helps move the days along. Just be a good sport and engage with your leader, and you might be rewarded. I met one of my close friends in the small group who I still see often, and my orientation leader makes an effort to say hi to me and make a conversation on campus almost a year later.
- bring a jacket
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Since all orientations are in the summer, you may not think about being cold, but trust me, you will be. You will spend the entire second day in the Civic Center, which is so cold. So many people had to buy sweatshirts from the gift shop during breaks, so if you want to save $80, plan and bring a hoodie from home.
- Take notes during presentations
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Several on-campus organizations will be giving presentations during the second day, so be sure to take notes. There will be discussions on meal plans, academic advising, major-specific presentations and more. If there’s something you didn’t know or that seems important, just jot it down to investigate later.
- Do not go out on the first night
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Orientation is just a small glimpse into college freedom, so it seems very tempting to go out to a local Tally club your first night, but I would highly recommend against that. The second day of orientation starts very early and goes until late evening, so you will be miserable. If you really do want to go out, do the second night. The third day is still an early morning, but all you do is grab breakfast and then go to advising, so you’ll survive. Just know, either night you go out your parents will see you the next morning, so don’t go too crazy.
- don’t stress yourself out
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You are going to be given a ton of information during the three days of orientation, but just know you are going to be fine. Research classes you want to take before attending advising and do the pre-orientation modules, and it will seem like a breeze.
Good luck and welcome to FSU!
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