This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.
For many rising freshmen, orientation is the first time you’ll step on campus and meet your peers for the next four years. It’s a three-day stint of sleeping in dorm twin XL beds, using the communal bath, and getting hopelessly lost on campus trying to find your advisor’s office. For me, freshman orientation was also incredibly intimidating: I only knew two other people there and due to scheduling I never saw them, so being continually surrounded by strangers was an overwhelming experience. I also remember having no idea of what to expect going into it, but with the gift of hindsight, there are a few decisions I would have made differently. Here’s my advice:
- Bring a water bottle, fan, hat, sunscreen, good walking shoes and comfortable clothes such as gym shorts. Those items may sound like something you would include on a hiking trip, but during orientation, you’ll essentially be hiking around campus for three days straight. The Texas summer heat is no joke, so staying hydrated, cool, and sunburn-free is key to keeping yourself healthy during orientation.
- Don’t skip mandatory events. The orientation advisors will catch you and there are attendance sheets for most mandatory activities. Every required event also teaches you pertinent information about your major and life at UT that you need to know before class starts.
- Do go to optional social events! A lot of them may be cheesy, and realistically speaking your orientation friends will probably not be your college best friends, but attending socials helps you connect with other people in your major and build a network before freshman year even officially starts. Having this network will make you feel much more supported when you first start at UT and keep you from feeling lonely during the first few weeks.
- Get two sizes up on the orientation T-shirts. I’m a size medium and my large was too small. It also ripped when I tried to stretch it out, so I’ve literally never worn it.
- Participate in tabling and info sessions. Ask the tablers questions, follow their Instagrams, and go to any events they’re holding during orientation. Being involved in orgs at UT is essential to finding a group of friends and a place for yourself at such a massive school. It can be overwhelming to try to figure out what organizations you want to join in the first few weeks of school when you’re just trying to figure out how college works. Get a head start on this process at orientation to make the first few weeks of your freshman year easier.