When my son was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, there was an Ordeal experience he had to endure before induction. Those who have endured the Ordeal don't tell any one beforehand what the Ordeal consists of, thus heightening and preserving the mystique and soberness (and mental impact) of the experience.
I find myself wondering the same thing about "New Student Orientation." What is it? What kind of stuff will we be doing? What kind of stuff do I need to bring? And for mercy's sake, how should I dress? All the website says is that it exists. A thin hint is provided in the computer guidelines, that at at least one point during orientation, we'll be introduced into the mysteries of the CU computer network. But surely, this won't take all week.
I'm curious because original info about the start of school had us starting the same week as my kids, but this orientation thingy is the week before that (and I had to turn down a visit with my sister and mom on account thereof) so it better be good and not a time waster!
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Last year Peppet did a presentation on how not to lose your identity in law school, using the Little Mister/Miss series of children's books as a reference point. ("Are you a roundy or a squary?") There were library tours out the wazoo, made particularly exciting by the captivating public speaking abilities of our law librarians. The beemer-driving financial aid lady with folk-art bifocal frames, recently retired, did a talk on what you need to do with regards to loans. The career services office did an extended dog and pony, at which time the words "shut up shut up shut up" kept running through my head. (You'll see what I mean when our loquacious career services dean gets going...) Some of the upper classpeople took the various sections out for lunch one day, giving us a bit of time to meet one another and test out a Boulder restaurant of their choice. And we filled out way too many forms.
This year, apparently, Professor Weiser will be doing a panel discussion on something or other. Other than that, however, I would expect more of the same. Unless, of course, they choose to put on a prof cage match, in which case my bet is on Professor Yee. It's always the little guy who rules the octagon.
we started our legal writing course during the first week. dunno if they do that anymore.
wear whatever you feel like wearing. i'm personally fond of shorts a tshirt and flip-flops, but that's just me. my advice is to talk to people randomly. everyone there is uncomfortable and not sure what is going on.
don't get scared. you are going to feel horribly overwhelmed. don't let it get to you. you'll make it through. it's not as bad as it might seem on the first day. bring a notepad and something to write with. if you're a laptop person, bring that as well, though you probably won't need it. bring cash--you go out to lunch at least once. that's all i remember. it seems like it was eons ago...
Ah, I see. A repeat of Admitted Students Day, only longer. Goody.
But with the advantage of knowing who is in your section. Interesting.
"A speech highlighting the impressive accomplishments of members of [our] class"??? Like what accomplishments? And are names named?
Oh ick. No no no. Let's not do that. I would feel so badly for anyone singled out in front of everyone for that. I'm suddenly having flashbacks to the first day of my senior year of high school; my folks had just relocated us, and I was fated to graduate from the same HS as my parents. I walk in to my homeroom on day one, face a roomful of strangers, and the teacher (who had taught my parents, and been my mother's cheerleading coach) begins by having me stand and introducing me to everyone, by kinship ties (out to third cousins), and pointing out that my arrival knocked everyone down one notch in the grade rankings. I looked down, examining the cracks in the floor hopelessly wishing for one large enough to disappear into. It took 8 months to recover socially from that day (lol, just in time for graduation).
no names are mentioned. the only thing that went through my mind the entire time was: how the hell did i get in?!?
"some of you have been pastry chefs, or have a ph.d. in physics from harvard. others have volunteered in the amazon to save endangered species...." have you seen legally blonde? you know that scene where she has just gotten to law school and she's in her small group and the people list off incredible accomplishments? i was elle woods that day.
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