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| A nice, shady study spot in nature. Bring your study materials, a blanket, and a picnic basket, and you got yourself a study date or an area to work and/or nap. |
Okay, this is the last day. You'll leave around 5: 30 P.M. roughly (meaning that if you need to make plane or train arrangements, do so ahead of time and leave appropriately, unless you want to pay a fee to stay extra time)
If you missed my posts regarding Day #1 and Day #2, check them out! Warning: they're long!
The same disclaimers apply to this post as well.
DAY #3
Since my theater courses are default and I can't do anything about them, my NSA advised me not to go to enrollment. YaY, I could sleep in a bit, so long as I meet with my group around 10, when we had a mandatory assembly.
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| Sculpture in the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden |
I wake up. It's 9: 20 and I need breakfast, so I get ready and rush out the door and this time, I actually know where the dining hall is. I spent ten or so minutes eating yogurt and something I don't yet have a name to, but it tasted pretty damn good. I took my time exiting the building as I knew that our arranged meeting placed was just downstairs. Turns out that someone else in my group had made us a little late. There I was thinking that I would be the one doing that.
Anyways, here's a tip: pay attention to this assembly. It discusses sexual assault as well as alcohol/drug use on college campuses. If you have to do a course like I did, this is basically a review. If you like me and don't drink or smoke, which I 'm sure is a few people, and you don't think this applies to you, pay attention anyways, in case you have a friend or some peer. You could be the safe friend, the designated driver, or the difference between someone going assaulted and traumatized or safe and sound. It's a serious assembly and discussion and if you had experienced any of these things discussed, you are invited and encouraged to exit the room at any time.
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| Rolfe Hall, one of the original UCLA buildings, which is directly in front of Royce Hall |
When all of that is said and done, you and your group will get some food in Lu Valle Commons. I got a Caesar salad and it was fucking delicious as Caesar salads should be. By the way, you're able to get food with your room card. I feel like I should have mentioned that in my Day #1 post. You automatically have $8.00 loaded on your card for meals and you just pay the difference if your meal goes over that amount.
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| Another sculpture in the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden |
For the remainder of your time at the orientation, you will tread on a treacherous tour with your NSA, group, and another NSA and his or her group. They call it the "Myths and Legends" tour, which is very fitting, and you'll see why. I can't say much about this, except when they say bring your tennis shoes, comfortable clothes, and plenty of water, you will need it at this time!!! Don't say I didn't warn you if you choose to reject this information.
Once on this tour, you will be provided a popsicle at some point and you will have an opportunity to donate the toy you and your group may have gotten on Day #1 as well as color and cute some color pages. Besides that, you will essentially be done and sweaty.
If you have a chance to take a shower before you leave, I suggest it!
You will be given an agenda and an optional survey regarding your experience at orientation. Oh, and make sure to turn in your room key. There will be a long line to turn it in, but don't worry. The line may be long, but it goes by really fast since all you have to do is turn in your key and sign the contract you signed on the first day (yeah, remember that?).
Despite the fact that I distanced myself from my group, I still had a pretty good time and enjoyed myself, while familiarizing myself with the campus, some organizations, and with a good set of people.
During your orientation, you might still wonder why you're even going to UCLA, or better yet, how you even got in. You're definitely not the only one. One of the people in my orientation group said that it's beginning to feel "real" to which everyone else in my group agreed. I sluggishly retreated, feeling ashamed yet again for not being up to par with the beliefs and thoughts of my group.
It still doesn't feel real yet. Even though I had been there for three days, it had felt that I had been there for perhaps three months. I blame the social aspect of this that just exhausts me, considering how I have to put on a front and try to impress people when most of the time I prefer being in my own company. Regardless I knew that my time there was just three days (not even that--more like two and three quarters). I believe it'll feel "real" when I officially move in and the consistency sets in.
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| My orientation group and me! |
Here's my last bit of advice before I finish this post: Don't give into social pressures. That's easier said than done, I'm sure. Even when I knew that my group smokes and drinks and will continue doing so (as they had admitted), I accounted for my discomfort with silence. One lesson I've learned over the years is that even when everyone else is saying something doesn't mean you should. And this came from a lot of experience of being an ambivert in a room full of extroverts. And trust me, being a theater major essentially ensures that this is my next four years right here. I've found that even extroverts don't say things sometimes. They're not talking all of the time. They gotta shut the fuck up some time, right? Haha, jokes aside, if something makes you uncomfortable, make it known, verbally or nonverbally. Don't give in. Know and understand your convictions. If someone offers you a drink or cigarette or whatever, it's just that: an offer, which means you could say yes or no. Your choice.
I hope this helps.
Again, if you have any questions about your orientation, whether at UCLA or not, please ask me below! If you have any questions regarding UCLA in general, just shoot me a message below anyway! I would be glad to help!!
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