First's the worst |
'Orientation Week', the information week for new students prior to the commencement of classes, was aptly named for me. I had to learn my way around a new campus, a new culture and a new country. No pressure. |
In which I tackle a week of fun, activities and socialising whilst sleep-deprived.
A screech breaks into my slumber. I fight the urge to hurl my alarm clock to the other side of the room - wait, what room is this? This is not my bedroom. And then, realisation dawns: this is my dorm room. I am in my American college. Oh, I am in America. "There is a Hell, and jet-lag is its name," I sleepily announce to my room-mates upon waking up after a comatose encounter with sleep. They smile at each other and cast sympathetic gazes in my direction and kindly offer to help move boxes and suitcases and goodness knows what else around, so that I may tumble grace(lessly/fully, you may decide) from my new bed and get ready to embark upon my first day of US college 'Orientation'. Wincing as I smack my forehead into the bar-frame of the bunk bed and questioning why I opted for the bottom bunk, I stumble blearily towards the 'bathroom' (I'm realising also that I will have to become fluent in American, and soon) and musing that as I am indeed the living embodiment of Murphy's Law, this could well be quite the interesting day to start an interesting week. ~~ Coe's Orientation Week was an active and very packed week of presentations, activities and fun events running from morning to evening each day. (I could only pity the wannabe athletes who had try-outs and practice early each morning in addition to Orientation week.) The very first day commenced with Check-in for both your residence hall and for the week in general, and as you can imagine it was chaotic, having to weave your way throughout crowds of new students and their proud yet anxious parents. After checking in - "You're Irish? No way!" - I received my guide for the week which thereafter I christened my Orientation 'Bible' and made my way over to get my photograph taken for my new student ID card. As I held the card in my hands, I felt various feelings of excitement and nerves overwhelm me as it became all too real that this was my new college and indeed my new life for the academic year. Watching as the new American students carried suitcases and boxes from their parents' cars to their rooms, I felt a twinge of sadness as I did not have my parents there. Before I could feel homesick, I was introduced to several fellow Europeans and instantly felt right at home. We merry few, we band of internationals soon met each other as we were shepherded by our CAP leader for our first 'team' meeting of the week. The 'European Contingent' as we quickly became known as were the largest collective group, and we all became very close, very quickly. I was surrounded with students from France, Germany, Sweden, Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal and South Korea and I could not wait to begin to start swapping stories of our backgrounds and culture. I was however the sole Irish/UK representative, which made me smile. Our CAP leader discussed the week with us, introduced ice-breaker games and was very welcoming - the poor fella would soon be driven to distraction by us. (Seeing as we were all established university students in our respective countries and did not always want to sit through presentations aimed for Freshmen/First students and as such, had to be constantly rounded up and herded by our CAP leader.) I made many new friends, both American and International that first week and also discovered my capacity for sleep-deprivation, and how many presentations I could sit through on several cups of coffee (a good few hours' worth). It seems so long ago now, all a blur, but I enjoyed those days getting to know more about Coe, find my way around campus and meeting new people. A special thank you to the Office of International Students - the workshops provided, the information dissembled, the warm welcome and the kindness in answering many questions were all invaluable, and greatly appreciated. (They also provided free coffee throughout our international student information workshops. God Bless them for supplying us with caffeine when we needed it most.) This week seems in the distance past to me now, but I can still readily recall the bundle of nerves and excitement I felt when leaving my dorm room that first morning. It would have appeared to anyone observing me that I was merely another new student waling around campus, but I felt that my first footstep into the gravel path outside my residence was my first footstep into my year abroad, and into American campus life. It was my first week in America, and it was thoroughly crammed with events, activities and people. I had to adapt to a new timezone, a new bed, three lovely roomies, and a new campus. I had to participate in team-building exercises, umpteen icebreakers (if I have to throw a ball back and forth between my peers whilst reciting names and facts again, it will be all too soon) and presentations. I had to learn to assimilate to US culture, and the unique American student life, which was different to my own in Northern Ireland. I had to learn to switch down a gear when speaking, and to slightly modify my accent. All the time I was conscious that I was the lone representative of not only my university, but my country as well. I was determined to create a positive impression. (Even as I narrowly avoided being knocked down by a car during my second day. Guess who forgot to check the other side of the road...?) What's a girl to do, save throw herself into the proverbial deep end, and see what happens? That is exactly what I did. It would become the general theme for my year abroad - you will never know until you try, and you are only here for a year. Jump on it. |
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