[Pictured above: part one of the two part series, Orientation Photos--'Are you KIDDING ME?!?! This is what college is?!?!?! And I get to LIVE here?!!?' ]


Note: This piece includes endnotes for your convenience. They're after the jump. Read them. They are dear to me.

Orientation is a lot of fun, but it’s easy to do stupid things.[1] To keep the ship of Good Times And Getting The Most Out Of Orientation Oh And Also Don’t Forget Your Dignity sailing smoothly, veteran orientation leader Bex Allen ’08 advises incoming freshman not to skip any of the events.[2] She said, “Wes is a culture shock…you need to be acclimated or you’ll run into some problems.”[3] Also, “take as many opportunities to acquaint yourself with people beyond your hall, because you might get sick of them after two weeks.” She cites “getting drunk and doing regrettable things”[4] and “seeing things about Wes culture you don’t like[5] and closing yourself off instead of becoming familiar and okay with it,”[6] as major mistakes people make.[7]

Speaking of mistakes, Don’t Be Like Bex: though she has many fine qualities, how she went about making friends during orientation is not one of them. “I hung out with people that looked like they were popular, party people, the type I wanted to be like in high school and they turned out to be real boring. I missed out on being friends with some really cool people earlier.”

Join us next week for best Don't Do What I Did During Orientation.
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End Notes
1. I think I have mentioned on at least one occasion the game Let's Have Sex With Each Other.
2. I didn’t go to the guided tour of the library and made it number one on my list of the number one reason I am so baller right now.
3. You think going to the Bisexual/Lesbian/Gay/Trans meeting during orientation week is enough until you join what you think is a women’s rugby team and realize you know nothing.
4. But another way to think of it: yes, he was regrettable, but the stories have lasted two years and counting, and they’re still funny.
5. Like that guy, because the stories are still funny but maybe things are a little awkward or you just would prefer not to acknowledge his existence at the present moment.
6. Kind of like I was okay with pretending not to see him because I was NOT okay with certain people he decided to make out with at The Ceo’s and Secretary Ho’s party.
7. Can’t type. Weeping.