As an introvert, I need my down time. Time to read a book, think, play piano, be in silence -- anything that doesn’t require my immediate focus on somebody else. During this time, I recharge and rev up for the next place I have to go to. So, when I first got the schedule for Orientation Week, I was super worried that my needs wouldn’t be met. Basically, every day is full of freshman class meetings, big events, smaller academic sessions, and even planned mealtimes with groups. I remember reading these activities about a week ago in my email and just thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is not going to work.” Introverted me was definitely not going to do this kind of nonstop activity...but actually, so far I have done everything. Here’s a list of reasons why.
1. Opportunity.
As much as we introverts need time to ourselves, no questions asked, it kind of changes when you have a really good reason to be social. Like college. It’s a whole different scene when you are given four days of tremendous opportunity to just meet a bunch of people who are (mostly) all interested in meeting other new people too. When I started seeing this week as a catalyst into other avenues of friendship and connection, then I really became invested and interested in all that was going on.
2. You can find people you like.
In relation to the last point, not only do you have an awesome opportunity to meet a mass group of people at once, but the chances are high that you’ll like at least one of them. I was nervous at first about finding friends, but I have met so many great people for just being here three days.
3. Big group activities aren’t that scary.
Even if you are in a group with, say, 15 people, it really isn’t that hard to be talking to one person at a time. I’ve enjoyed being in settings with more people because then I have more options from which to choose.
4. You actually do get down time.
Yes, it’s true. The people who made the schedule are actually reasonable human beings who schedule in time for you to do whatcha gotta do like setting up a printer, organizing your room, or just chilling (all things I’ve done).
5. Having an orientation schedule prepares you for classes.
It’s been a fun challenge to try and keep up with my schedule, and it’s not that easy! I was five minutes late to my department meeting yesterday (sorry Professor Barber). But after those kinds of incidents, you realize how much more focus you’ll need to start putting into your schedule once fall rolls around. So it’s like a college simulation-thing-ish…
6. The people running the activities actually want to be there.
I think that my image of upperclassmen really got tainted in high school. Four years ago, I remember feeling nervous around the older kids and knowing that it’s normal to not be accepted since you’re a freshman. At my college, it’s different. People are chosen to be on Orientation Board because they chose to apply. So you know that these people are actually excited to be with you and do this job.
7. You get to play with extroversion.
This point may not sound very appealing, but I’ve had a lot of fun with it. The last half of my high school career was when I became more of an introvert. I haven’t had this much consecutive people-time since freshman year of high school, and I actually love it. Granted, I will need a big break next week when classes start and it all hits me. But right now, I realize that I have the capacity to go longer than even I expected.
So, my overall point is this: try new things. Get out of your comfort zone, whether it’s leaving your dorm room or branching out from only hanging with the first person you met. Meet more people than you normally would meet. Take these chances because you might just surprise yourself with how much you enjoy Orientation Week.
