By Alyssa Klancic

After graduating with my class of about 200 and living in my quaint town for the summer, I had no idea what to expect when moving into a school that inhabits more students than I could fathom. Aside from the bundle of nerves that was permanently pitted in my stomach, there was some excitement about finally moving out of my parent’s house. Ah…sweet freedom.

Before the actual college experience started, there was freshman orientation and knowing that I had to attend an event with pre-planned “super fun” events.

Well, that is what should have happened.

Friday was to be a scheduled day where parents would help their students move in, followed by a presentation where parents and students would say good-bye and part ways. Students could then participate in a variety of activities that were set up by orientation leaders.

Well that would have been grand, had it of happened.

Instead, it was one chaotic thing after another. The chaos began Thursday night when the incoming freshman learned of the new plan. This new plan told students and parents that Friday was move-in day from eight in the morning to five-thirty in the evening. Well that is not helpful at all.

Getting ambiguous messages from a school that should have had things together the night before I move in while I am already a bundle of nerves is a bad idea. Here is a helpful hint: always expect the worse, especially when the inclement weather was being predicted a few days before hand.

With nothing new to do many could just sit and dwell on the fact that they were finally on their own. Which is fine if this causes an individual to feel elated. Others, however, were probably reduced to tears because, well, with nothing to do it is pretty easy to get emotional.

Saturday brought little relief from the previous dull day. The ominous clouds were rolling in and remaining freshman went through their typical morning routines, braced themselves when venturing to Memorial Hall for breakfast, and then returned to their dorms to basically twiddle their thumbs.

Again, the back up plans, or lack thereof, became a nuisance. The idea of a good time quickly changed from living on campus to going home and bracing for the dangerous conditions at home.

Sunday held little change. With the roaring winds and down-pouring rain, freshman did not attempt many, if any, excursions across campus. This could be my naïve freshman brain at work here, but there are plenty of lounges – one on every floor of each residence hall – and the last time I checked, board games have a tendency to bring people together. Let’s face it: they are a primitive form of entertainment, but still enjoyable.

With doubts about reliability still running rampant, it is easy to say that this orientation left a lot to be desired. With a summer that consisted of  last minute and confusing responses, this orientation fiasco did not bring any amount of joy to my life. I felt like I was dealing with my high school…on a bad day. My outlook on the overall experience has dimmed, and left me seriously considering transferring.