Camp Crimson is a great opportunity for OU incoming freshman.
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Student Life

Camp Never Stops, Seriously

If you get anxious about having to be around people you don't know AND be yourself, this one's for you.

Erica Turner
Jul 15, 2019
University of Oklahoma
80
Camp Never Stops, Seriously
Camp Crimson

A few weeks ago, I decided (with my mother's encouragement) to sign up for Camp Crimson, which is the University of Oklahoma's orientation camp. Anyone who really knows me knows that I have anxiety and am an introverted extrovert. Whenever someone first meets me, I am the shyest person imaginable. It normally takes me several, and I mean several, interactions with someone for me to really start to open up to them.

So to say this week gave me tons of anxiety is an understatement.

As I started gathering things to take with me and started packing my bags, I was constantly overwhelmed with anxious feelings. Who do I think I am signing up for a camp where I won't know anyone? Although I was driving up with a friend, there was a huge possibility that we wouldn't even see each other the entire duration of the session. I began to regret ever signing up, and I even thought about emailing the staff and withdrawing from the session. Something in me forced me to keep packing and get it over with.

I knew this week could only go two ways: really bad or really good.

Thankfully, my time at Camp Crimson was AMAZING. I connected with so many people that I never thought I would have. Being able to let so many people in and really connect with them in only three short days is just crazy to me. I never thought that 1) I'd have the opportunity and 2) I'd allow it to happen. I am so thankful for the friendships and connections I made while I was on campus. I found it encouraging that the people didn't know anything about me and couldn't have any preconceived ideas about me because of that. This allowed me to be my true self around them.

If your school offers an orientation camp, please, please, please sign up for it!

I truly believe that without attending Camp Crimson, I wouldn't have been able to make friends with certain classmates and upperclassmen. I now know that when I get on campus in a month, there will be several familiar faces, and I won't feel as overwhelmed. I would recommend Camp Crimson to all of OU's incoming freshman because it is such a great opportunity. If you aren't attending OU, definitely see if your university offers some sort of camp for incoming freshman. It can allow you to connect with some of your class and upperclassmen who have already been through their own freshman year struggles.

The big theme at Camp Crimson is "camp never stops." It's the idea that even though the session you attend may come to an end, the connections, friendships, memories, and feelings you have don't ever stop. I can confidently say that camp never stops, seriously.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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