This year I am going into my senior year at Pacific, and one of the things I remember most about my freshman year was orientation. It will also be my third and final year as an orientation ambassador. The orientation program made a tremendous impact on the start of my experience at Pacific, and I really wanted to be a part of making it a worthwhile event for many other incoming freshmen. I know a lot of freshmen are not so inclined to participate in giant group activities being led around by two POD leaders, but it really does help you relax and join in with others who are just as terrified as you.
I was shy at first as a freshman when it came to participating in orientation games, but soon I loved how welcomed I felt. I really wanted others to feel the sense of belonging that I eventually did. I think the orientation program is an excellent way of helping new students, whether they are transfers from another college or brand new out of high school. I can’t even imagine how it would have felt if I was just dropped off my freshman year and told to show up to class the next day not knowing anyone or where anything was. The grouping of PODs is a great way to meet people who can eventually turn into your best friends for the rest of your time here at school. Even though orientation is a long couple of days I, as well as many others, am thankful that there was that short amount of orientation time to find a temporary place in the school to start off the year without the stress of figuring everything out on your own. I believe the orientation program makes the enormous transition to a new life less scary and a little more hopeful.
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