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Before you arrive in September, you will have to complete orientation! While you really shouldn’t worry about orientation – it’s a fun, light start to your time as a Michigan Wolverine – I figured you all may want a few tips to maximize your first three days on campus as a student. So, without further ado, here are five quick tips to help you make the most of orientation.

1. Brush up ahead of your placement exams.

During your first day of orientation, you will have to take any relevant placement exams that are proctored in-person on campus. If you are coming in with, say, two or three years of a foreign language under your belt, it would serve you very well to brush up on your grammar rules and vocabulary a little bit before taking your test.

Keep in mind that you are not expected to study hard for your placement exams – they’re meant to test your baseline knowledge in a subject – but I recall reviewing the things I learned from the foreign language courses I took as a freshman and sophomore in high school and testing out of two semesters worth of classes on campus because I did so. Refresh your knowledge, but don’t try to cram things you do not already know.

2. Come ready with some possible classes you’d like to take, as well as questions for your advisors.

During your second and third days of orientation, you will prepare your schedule and ultimately register for courses with guidance from academic advisors as well as peer advisors. To maximize your first semester, come in with a solid list of courses you’d be interested in taking and any questions you may have for your advisors.

I highly recommend taking advantage of the knowledge of your peer advisor; often nothing can help more than figuring out your schedule with a student just a couple of steps ahead of you in their undergraduate career.

3. Loosen up and socialize as much as you can.

I’ll be honest: I made plenty of friends during orientation, but I no longer talk with any of them or hang out with any of them (I did, however, make a lot of friends by participating in MLEAD). Nevertheless, orientation was a very enjoyable experience for me primarily because I was open, outgoing, and willing to talk with anybody I met.

Who knows? I know multiple people who met their best friend at orientation. The only way you’ll make new friends, of course, is to put yourself out there. (Don’t worry: everybody else is just as nervous as you are.)

4. Don’t worry too much about packing.

One thing I remember from orientation is the time I spent the day or two before trying to figure out what to pack. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t worried so much about it. These items from the preparing for orientation page are all you need:

• Your uniqname and password
• Water bottle
• Backpack/bag for your orientation materials
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather
• Alarm clock (but really, isn’t that just your phone?)
• #2 Pencils
• Long Twin Sheets (to fit a 36"x 80" mattress), a light blanket, and a pillow with pillowcase. (Or, alternatively, a sleeping bag.)
• Towels (Or maybe just a singular towel, to save room.)
• Umbrella
• Orientation confirmation letter
• Toiletries
• Picture ID (driver's license, state ID card, or passport)
• AP Scores and/or Transcripts, if available
• $30 cash to pay for overnight parking (if you choose to park your car overnight)
• Money for parking (daytime only; not overnight) and social activities
• Documents for hiring paperwork if you would like to work for the dining halls in the fall

Don’t worry about much else. You’ll be pretty busy.

5. Don’t panic about getting around campus.

Many people (myself included) never had to get around a larger city by themselves before without a car prior to freshman orientation. Whether you fall into this category or you’re simply nervous about your new surroundings, Google Maps will be your friend when it comes to getting around on your own or with friends during orientation. The orientation app, as well as the Michigan app, will help you navigate campus as well. Feel free to use these resources on a regular basis until you familiarize yourself with the heart of central campus.

Congratulations to all of the members of the #Victors2023 class for wrapping up high school. I’m very excited to have another group of exceptional minds join us on campus in Ann Arbor.