11 Tips For ISU Orientation
It is important to know everything there is to know about ISU, especially as a freshman. So therefore, it is obvious that attending ISU Orientation is essential. But what about being prepared for ISU Orientation? This is essential too. But don’t worry- we’re here to help. Keep reading for 11 tips for ISU Orientation, so you can be as prepared as possible!
1. Start talking to people right away!
The main thing is to make friends even if it’s just small talk for the two days that you are together. Add each other on social media and you won’t be scared to ask to hangout when school actually starts and everyone is looking for someone to keep them company.
2. Talk to your tour guide about their tips and tricks to getting around campus!
Although everyone eventually gets to know the campus, there are some benefits to learning how you get from one side of the quad to the other during a 10-minute break between classes.
3. Spend the night in the dorms!
It helps you adjust to what is coming. Nobody knows what it is going to be like and therefore anything can happen. From staying up all night talking to your new friends to sneaking out to walk around your new campus at 3 in the morning!
4. If you’re meeting your roommate for the first time get ready for the awkwardness.
Embrace it. You guys are both worried about the next year but just give it the night and you two will already be more close then you ever thought possible.
5. Ask questions when picking out your classes.
I remember the morning that I had to pick out my classes I was the last person left in the room. They separate you by major and put you in a computer lab with your academic advisor. It may seem like everyone knows what classes they’re taking in the fall and how to fit them all in a week’s schedule, but honestly most students just looked into classes the day before.
6. Don’t try to get around by yourself.
I had been to campus several times before orientation and still managed to get lost the first time I was left alone. It takes a while to get used to and with all the stress of orientation, the campus seems a lot bigger and scarier than it actually is.
7. Don’t stay up all night.
The second day of orientation is when you get your ID picture taken and you don’t want dark circles and messy hair to haunt you every day for the next four years.
8. Buy spirit wear!
The best deals on t-shirts and sweatshirts are during preview. Also, all the excitement of school coming up so soon will make your parents feel obligated to buy you presents!
9. Look into campus organizations!
You’ll learn more about them during Festival ISU, which is a day during the week were all of ISU’s organizations set up booths around the quad to teach students more about what they should be involved in. During preview, your academic advisor will tell you about activities you should be involved with towards your major. So start thinking!
10. Stay away from the dining halls!
They may be open and you may want to see what is in store for the next few years but you’ll be sick of it soon enough. After eating in the Watterson dining commons for one year, I’m dreading going back to the same meal after the same meal. Trust me, save it for when you actually are living at school.
11. Before you pack your bags and leave to enjoy the rest of your summer, take another glance around campus.
Walk around for a while to try and become more familiar. This is your new home and hopefully it is starting to feel like it!
