First-year students have the privilege and burden of having to make new friends and explore a new campus, while dealing with the emotional woes of missing home.

Orientation is probably the biggest ally for a first-year student, but it is often an ineffective one.

For most students, orientation takes place during the summer months, but that means it could be three months before they put all of that information to use. By then students have already forgotten most of it.

When students get so much information in such a short time at orientation they tend to forget most of it, making the experience almost useless.

Because orientation exclusively for out-of-state and international students happens the week before school starts, it is easy to think they’d have an advantage over the competition, but not necessarily.

They are bombarded with so much information through their journey to get acclimated to the university that a lot of the new information can be difficult to take in all at once.

During the two-day orientation event, one receives information pertaining to everything from housing and financial aid to making new friends and good choices. That’s a lot of information to process when they’re still trying to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings.

The schedule for orientation was jam-packed with activities and tours. This makes it difficult to remember all of the important things that are discussed during that time.

Students can easily acquire dozens of pamphlets of information.

Between trying to find their way to classes and remembering all the campus resources they may need, students could almost skip orientation all together.

More time should have been allotted for the tour because navigating the campus can be one of the biggest challenges for a first year or transfer student. Orientation could also be extended over a longer period so students don’t feel so overwhelmed with all the important information they’ve been given.

There was also lots of useful information that was left out. During orientation, students could have seen or been directed to more clubs and organizations. There are over 600 clubs and organizations at this school but only a handful are featured at orientation.

Orientation was an important avenue for creating new memories and building friendships, but students don’t necessarily walk away with any practical information about the university.

Bryana Wall is a freshman majoring in mass communications.