William Shakespeare once wrote, "Friends, Greeks, freshmen, lend me your ears; I come to praise Orientation, not to bury it." Or at least he said something along those lines. And I have to say that I agree with him.
It's no secret that Orientation is one of the most fun times of the year. A lack of academic pressures, along with the increased enthusiasm of reunited friends and a thousand new college students, makes campus a happy place to be. But it also seems, at least to an outsider, to be egregiously long and pointless many other schools have a much shorter orientation period, and some larger schools even bring students up to campus one group at a time for orientation, before sending them home until classes start.
Between pre-season, DOC Trips, "pre-O" and Orientation, Dartmouth has been up and running in every aspect except academics for quite a while now.
With another orientation now firmly under my belt, to those who would question the value of a full week of Orientation, I would say that this long period before classes formally start will ensure that the year begins more smoothly here at Dartmouth than at most other schools.
Orientation, obviously enough, is essential for the freshmen. Before they can go to classes, they need time to ask around and pick the right ones. They need to know where the buildings are. And, just for their peace of mind, they need to feel at least a little comfortable with the residential side of college life before they are thrown into the academic one. Besides basic comfort, there's a lot to be said for making the freshmen feel like they're a part of the Dartmouth community. Sure, more of that feeling of Dartmouth pride will come with the freshmen's first Homecoming, and with all the other things that make Dartmouth so special but it is good that the College does what it can to instill pride in new students before classes start. A student who is psyched about Dartmouth in general will be much better equipped to handle any challenges that may lay ahead. As convoluted as this logic is, a freshman who's able to play a game of pong without any instructions or sunk serves will feel like he or she is really a part of the community and this comfort will positively affect other aspects of his or her Dartmouth experience.
For the curious and ambitious students out there, a long Orientation also gives Dartmouth the opportunity to offer a plethora of programs and activities for the freshmen. Want to go up into Baker Tower, check out the Big Green Bus and go to the Sociology Open House? You can do that. Want to watch a football game, learn about alcohol and try out for an a cappella group? You can do that, too.
And Orientation isn't just for the freshmen. A long Orientation benefits us all. As sure of our footing as we upperclassmen are, more experienced Dartmouth students still need some time before classes as well. Orientation programs are, for the most part, open to everyone, so Orientation is a nice time for upperclassmen to experience more of Dartmouth and work on the extracurriculars that they are already involved in.
Orientation also gives upperclassmen a chance to get excited for classes. If we came to Dartmouth the day before school started, all of us would be sitting in class wishing we could instead be hanging out and partying with old and new friends. After an extended period with little expectations, students are able to get the party bug (slightly) out of their system and get excited for the fall.
A long Orientation period helps everything run smoothly by the time classes start. Anybody starting a new job needs time to get ready for the school year so that there are no major problems once classes begin. With the proper time to prepare, student employees will be able to help students find books in the stacks and make Pavilion cookies because they'd better know how to make those things by the time classes start or campus happiness will take a nosedive.
With the proper time to orient ourselves within our own little niche of Dartmouth, we can each make everybody else's lives a little easier. If nothing else, with a long Orientation to hang out, freshmen won't hit quite as low once the term starts.
