Written by Cole Jackson
For those of you who are outgoing, have no problem always being yourself, and are good at making friends, this post is not for you. You all will be fine. You will naturally love Orientation. It will be a week that plays to all of your strengths. But there is another, quieter group of you, a group I was a part of, who is terrified. The idea of being in place where you don’t know anyone sounds nightmarish. You are totally yourself around your friends but have a much tougher time with people you don’t know. You wish you could fast forward through Orientation to the point where you have established friendships and are comfortable again. As someone who went through this and managed to come out alive, here are three quick thoughts for those who are feeling the same way I did.
1. Relax. Take a deep breath. You will find great friends at Chapman, I promise. It might not happen right away, but the time is soon coming where you will look back and laugh at your nervous freshman self. The less you stress about making friends, the easier it will be to show others who you really are.
2. Don’t believe what you see. I remember walking around Orientation and feeling like everyone had already grouped up and made friends without me by the second day. This is so far from the truth. Most people are just trying to not look alone, just like you might be. Don’t be afraid to fly solo to some of the week’s events, lots of people will! At the same time, if you find someone you like, don’t be afraid to make an effort to spend more time with them. It’s important to know that, even after one semester at Chapman, there is still a whole WORLD of students you haven’t met and friends you haven’t made. I didn’t meet some of my good friends until my second semester and even as a Junior I’m continuing to make new friendships.
3. Involvement is truly the key. Think about your friends now. You probably have strongly shared interests with each of them. Joining clubs, groups, and organizations will speed up your friend-finding process. Spending all of your time alone in your room watching Netflix, though it will undoubtedly become an integral part of your schedule, will do little for you socially.
Nothing I can say will relieve all of your nerves, but hopefully these thoughts will provide you some comfort as you get ready for Orientation. Chapman is full of incredible people, all waiting to meet you, so be open to new people and you will make the best of such an important week!
- Cole Jackson