First Day.
After hiding in my cave for the past seven months, I'm finally stepping out from my comfort zone to attend university. It was a really big deal to me because it's friggin UNIVERSITY I'm attending, which will lead to things that I'll do in the future.
Honestly, I was getting more nervous as the day of the orientation drew closer. I was freaking out everyday and I was telling my mom everyday, asking my brother questions everyday. They weren't freaking out like me so I became more worried.
I drove my mother's car to the campus with my parents with me (because I was afraid drive alone) and I'm happy my father was there to see me heading to university for the first time. My mom kept making fun of me saying that I still need my parents to take me there, but seriously there were parents (or even the whole family) guiding their son or daughter all the way into the campus.
Different courses are having their orientation at different lecture theaters so I was a little lost at the beginning. The university is a huge place so you'll really be clueless if you're new there. I waited outside the hall for quite a long time because I was early and they wouldn't allow us to enter. There, I met an ex-classmate from my high school who is also taking the same course as me. Yay?
Actually, I wasn't hoping to see old faces in my course because I thought of starting anew in university. It reminds me of high school which I'm trying to forget so I wasn't really excited to see her nor I was depressed either. We didn't really clicked in high school so she was more like an acquaintance.
The orientation begin with the usual speeches and ice breaking sessions which I think didn't really work, at least for me. Everything was done with slide shows and videos. I was getting sleepy before lunch break and was glad that I can finally walk around.
I didn't make any new friends today. Well, if I were to blame someone I'll just blame myself because I'm not really the sociable type of person. I won't go in front of you, shake your hand and say things like, 'Hi, I'm JL and I'm 18 and I love sleeping. Do you like pancakes because I really like how the maple syrups melts into it and oh, two of my dogs died due to accidents.'
After our break, we had to participate an event called the 'Campus Hunt' organized by the orientation leaders which is similar to a treasure hunt. Its purpose is to get us around the campus and so we'll not get lost when we're studying and know what different facilities are for. The freshmen are divided into groups of at least 12 and guided by one orientation leader.
Well, they wanted us to introduce ourselves and make new friends but I wasn't really actively participating in the games they have organized. Our members weren't REAAALLY that sporting (or maybe it's just me) and our orientation leader wasn't loud enough for me to hear her for most of the time I was following her. I wasn't really having fun or anything, in fact I would prefer a normal tour around the campus.
After introducing myself, I realized that I should just use 'June' as my name instead of my real name in university because most of the time people will go, 'Huh?' after hearing it. Yes, June is my name from now on.
I guess one of the reasons I wasn't really going all out to meet new people because I was comfortable with the presence of someone I knew, which is my high school classmate. I didn't bother asking anyone else because I was only talking to her. Which is another reason why I didn't want to meet people I know. I'm only making excuses, am I? Hmmmmmmm.
I also thought that the ice breaking sessions and all the team work thing was a waste of time for me because it was for everyone from all kinds of different courses. So far, I only know two people from the same design course as me. If I do make friends in this orientation, I'll have to make friends again when I begin studying. And that means starting all over again. Which is a waste of effort, to me.
And making friends this way isn't really how I made friends. Like I said, I'm not the kind that'll approach someone and introduce myself and find out what they like and start everything from there. The way I approach takes a lot of time and lots of observation and I can only click with people I'm comfortable with.
I remember when I was in Standard Two when a boy transferred to our school after a few months school started. I went to introduce myself to him, like really going in front of him and telling him my name and things like that. He was shy at first and later he turned out to be a cheeky boy and I avoided talking to him for the rest of the year.
My best friend during my secondary years wasn't really my best friend right away when we first met. We were normal friends who will only talk in a group during primary school and only got closer as we entered high school. I guess I do take a lot of time getting to know the other person first, knowing that if he or she is the kind of people that I'll like to interact with before labeling them as my 'friend'.
It was like I how I took a decade before I became comfortable with my Ballet classmates. And for the people who I didn't really spend time with before becoming my 'friend', our relationship often fade away easily after time passes.
It's kinda sad, isn't it? Well, I do hope I can make great friends in university because I only have four years and I can't afford to stalk people through bushes, analyzing their habits in their natural habitats before being friends with them. I don't want to be alone during my university years too. But I can't just continue hoping that a friend will pop out of thin air in front of me.
The orientation lasts for three days. It will be compulsory to attend day two and there's a party on day three which I'm not really looking forward. The moment the girl gave me the ticket for it, I already had plans skipping it. Honestly, I was more looking forward for classes to start.
I wonder if there are people like me, hmm. Maybe we can be friends.
Honestly, I was getting more nervous as the day of the orientation drew closer. I was freaking out everyday and I was telling my mom everyday, asking my brother questions everyday. They weren't freaking out like me so I became more worried.
I drove my mother's car to the campus with my parents with me (because I was afraid drive alone) and I'm happy my father was there to see me heading to university for the first time. My mom kept making fun of me saying that I still need my parents to take me there, but seriously there were parents (or even the whole family) guiding their son or daughter all the way into the campus.
Different courses are having their orientation at different lecture theaters so I was a little lost at the beginning. The university is a huge place so you'll really be clueless if you're new there. I waited outside the hall for quite a long time because I was early and they wouldn't allow us to enter. There, I met an ex-classmate from my high school who is also taking the same course as me. Yay?
Actually, I wasn't hoping to see old faces in my course because I thought of starting anew in university. It reminds me of high school which I'm trying to forget so I wasn't really excited to see her nor I was depressed either. We didn't really clicked in high school so she was more like an acquaintance.
The orientation begin with the usual speeches and ice breaking sessions which I think didn't really work, at least for me. Everything was done with slide shows and videos. I was getting sleepy before lunch break and was glad that I can finally walk around.
I didn't make any new friends today. Well, if I were to blame someone I'll just blame myself because I'm not really the sociable type of person. I won't go in front of you, shake your hand and say things like, 'Hi, I'm JL and I'm 18 and I love sleeping. Do you like pancakes because I really like how the maple syrups melts into it and oh, two of my dogs died due to accidents.'
After our break, we had to participate an event called the 'Campus Hunt' organized by the orientation leaders which is similar to a treasure hunt. Its purpose is to get us around the campus and so we'll not get lost when we're studying and know what different facilities are for. The freshmen are divided into groups of at least 12 and guided by one orientation leader.
Well, they wanted us to introduce ourselves and make new friends but I wasn't really actively participating in the games they have organized. Our members weren't REAAALLY that sporting (or maybe it's just me) and our orientation leader wasn't loud enough for me to hear her for most of the time I was following her. I wasn't really having fun or anything, in fact I would prefer a normal tour around the campus.
After introducing myself, I realized that I should just use 'June' as my name instead of my real name in university because most of the time people will go, 'Huh?' after hearing it. Yes, June is my name from now on.
I guess one of the reasons I wasn't really going all out to meet new people because I was comfortable with the presence of someone I knew, which is my high school classmate. I didn't bother asking anyone else because I was only talking to her. Which is another reason why I didn't want to meet people I know. I'm only making excuses, am I? Hmmmmmmm.
I also thought that the ice breaking sessions and all the team work thing was a waste of time for me because it was for everyone from all kinds of different courses. So far, I only know two people from the same design course as me. If I do make friends in this orientation, I'll have to make friends again when I begin studying. And that means starting all over again. Which is a waste of effort, to me.
And making friends this way isn't really how I made friends. Like I said, I'm not the kind that'll approach someone and introduce myself and find out what they like and start everything from there. The way I approach takes a lot of time and lots of observation and I can only click with people I'm comfortable with.
I remember when I was in Standard Two when a boy transferred to our school after a few months school started. I went to introduce myself to him, like really going in front of him and telling him my name and things like that. He was shy at first and later he turned out to be a cheeky boy and I avoided talking to him for the rest of the year.
My best friend during my secondary years wasn't really my best friend right away when we first met. We were normal friends who will only talk in a group during primary school and only got closer as we entered high school. I guess I do take a lot of time getting to know the other person first, knowing that if he or she is the kind of people that I'll like to interact with before labeling them as my 'friend'.
It was like I how I took a decade before I became comfortable with my Ballet classmates. And for the people who I didn't really spend time with before becoming my 'friend', our relationship often fade away easily after time passes.
It's kinda sad, isn't it? Well, I do hope I can make great friends in university because I only have four years and I can't afford to stalk people through bushes, analyzing their habits in their natural habitats before being friends with them. I don't want to be alone during my university years too. But I can't just continue hoping that a friend will pop out of thin air in front of me.
The orientation lasts for three days. It will be compulsory to attend day two and there's a party on day three which I'm not really looking forward. The moment the girl gave me the ticket for it, I already had plans skipping it. Honestly, I was more looking forward for classes to start.
I wonder if there are people like me, hmm. Maybe we can be friends.
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