O-Week is the part of college everybody sees on TV and expects the rest of the year to be like. However, there is a lot to O-Week that many people don't think about.
Orientation Week, better known as O-Week, is the one and only stress free period at Cornell. It’s known for its darties followed by late night frat parties as well as the thing Cornellians lack the most, nice weather. However O-Week is filled with both pros and cons that everybody who has just moved in can relate to.
PRO: You don’t have any responsibilities. Once you’ve unpacked and maybe decorated a little, time is of the essence. Say a nice long goodbye to your parents if they made the trek with you and say hello to freedom. Whether you want to darty (day party) all day or sit on your new couch and start Orange Is The New Black (I have chosen the latter), the decision is up to you! There are no classes, just you and your sweet time, so take advantage of it.
CON: You don’t have any responsibilities. Although this can be seen as a pro (see above), you can start to run out of energy from dartying all day or episodes in Orange Is The New Black (this may or may not be a recurring theme in this article). Don’t let boredom get to you, there is plenty of time to be bored in class in the future.
PRO: You get to go out with so many people. Whether you go out with friends from Greek Life, your Freshman floor, or former classmates, chances are you’ll see every person you’ve ever met during O-Week. The streets (and frat annexes) are filled with every Cornellian from every neck of the woods (but actually from all over campus). So come on down to Collegetown to reunite with everybody you have gone three months without.
CON: Everybody is out. When I say everybody, I mean just about everybody. With that being said, walking down the streets of Collegetown suddenly becomes like walking down the streets of New York City. It is hot (see nice weather mentioned above), crowded, and there are never enough cups to go around. O-Week is infested with cops and Ithaca College, so if you’re looking for an intimate time with your friends, O-Week can start to get played out.
PRO: FOOD! Reunite with your friends the right way and go out for every meal possible. I’m not telling you to break your budget, but when else during the year can you go out for lunch four days in a row. Also, there are plenty of clubs and frats BBQing and giving away free food- so don’t miss out!
CON: No food. This might just be a #sororitygirlproblem, but when the meal plan doesn’t start until classes do, you might start to feel like Chapman on OITNB (I told you it might be a theme).
PRO: Freshmen! Nothing like the sweet smell of freshman in the morning! Whether you’re looking for a little friend to mentor or somebody to swipe you in to RPCC for brunch (hit me up), freshmen are the new face of Cornell and are not leaving any time soon (at least while you’re still here), so learn to love them!
CON: Freshmen. Whether they make you sad about getting older or just take up too much space on the TCAT, they’re lost and confused just like you were long ago.
Whether you love it or hate it, O-Week is here to stay (well not really because by the time you read this class will have started already), so learn to love it for all of its lazy yet hectic glory.
