Yes, it's been a bit since I last updated this on the joys of being an orientation advisor.

My last group of freshmen flew by. I don't even remember them...they were a nice group of 20, a few being very excited about being here (including my history major and my volleyball player--they were great!) and the rest of them just seeming completely disgusted and not even caring about anything. Many of all my orientees have been pre-med--easy for scheduling purposes, but do we really need that many doctors? I guess we do. The majority will change their minds soon enough though, so we'll see where these students stand come end of their sophmore years.

Then I had crew/set up. I got to park cars and hold signs. Then I got to drag tables and watch funny movies in Lecture Hall 1 when we had free time. It was that session where I met Alda, who is best friends with a family I used to work for in high school. She's from another high school in the City School District, bringing the City of Rochester total here to...three (Brian Jones, me, and now Alda). She rocks! It was so exciting to talk to someone who came from the same school district!

Tomorrow begins the last session, Session I. Well, it's not really the last session, but it's the last two day full session with the 25 OAs. I'm working with the families (hooray--I love interacting with families, see my previous entries as to why). I just have a better time interacting with them. And after Tuesday night, we finish cleaning and then it's vacation! Then I come back here sometime around the 14th, pack up my apartment here in Susquehanna, and move over to Mountainview. On August 20th, we start preparations for the last session (the "oops, you forgot to come to orientation and you kind of really need classes" session), do the last session, staff Welcome Back Weekend, and then we're done. Then classes begin, and so do the 10 or so extracurriculars I have agreed on doing this year. Sigh...we will see, we will see.

This weekend I got to have dessert with the Vice President of Student Affairs and have dinner at my bosses' house. Add to that the dinner I had with President DeFleur at the beginning of the summer, and I'd like to say I have seriously networked my way around this campus. This job has been awesome for that respect. And if any of them can get me jobs, I'd love them for it.

Well, I might as well get to the work I have to do and to get to sleep, since I do have to wake up early tomorrow. I'll update this tomorrow or Tuesday and let you all know how the last session went.

Oh, yeah, out of state totals for the all sessions thus far: @11 MA (4 in one session alone, including one from Beverly, where one of my favourite ex-Ithacans, Caitlin, is from!), a lot of Jerseys (I think they came in a group the last two sessions), a lot of Penn. (maybe 10 a session the last few it seems), a Florida, two CAs, 2-3 IL, 3-4 Marylands.

Music: I've had "A Thousand Miles" stuck in my head all day. There is a reason for that...

Quick post, because I need to rest for tomorrow's session (actually, by the time I finish typing, it will be today's session).

This transfer session had it's ups and downs--although I must say, out of the 16 I was assigned, the 6 that actually showed up for things and particpated were fun to hang out with. The highlights were my Latin major and her cool mom (the very first Classics major we've had all year); my two Engineering guys, who were great to eat dinner and do schedules with; the mother from Rochester who also went to School #52 (although, as she assured me, many years before I did); and the History major transfer from IC, bringing the whole summer IC to Binghamton transfer total to roughly five, which brings the total number of IC to Binghamton transfers that I know of on campus to nine (that includes myself). I think IC may want to look into that...(What's even more scary is the number of those of us who lived in Terrace 5 in 2000-2001 who ended up transfering...I forget the last count, but it's many more than it should.)

The out of state count: 1.5 (long story) Colorados, 3 (?) Jerseys, .5 Mass. (another long story), and 3 or 4 Penn.

And that was my one and only transfer session. Yes, I still want to work in and research transfer advising. If anything, the expierence makes me want to research it more.

I'm heading to bed so I can rest up for my last group of freshmen (the two sessions after this one I work set-up and families). I'll be back on Wednesday...

What do OAs do on their day off?

•Watch the Quarterback Challenge and conclude that Marc Bulger is the hottest active quarterback in the NFL, with Mark Burnell a very close second.
•Attempt to shrink my still way too big OA polo shirts (I was mildly successful.)
•Watch Mr. Deeds, which has to have one of the best soundtracks of the past few years.
•Door tags for the floor I will stay on tomorrow night.
•Pack for tomorrow.
•Make sure I know what I'm talking about tomorrow.
•Dream about scheduling classes for something like the fifth night in a row.
•Try to plan my grad school visit/vacation, which is mighty hard to do when BC, BU and Harvard's admissions offices are closed on Saturday afternoons and you don't have time during the time they are open to call them.
•Realise that I've overbooked myself for my senior year and unless I like having no life and bouts of laryngitis, something should really change. But will it? I guess that's up to me. Three people today alone told me that something has to change. Three. Add to that my therapist last fall, my father, my mother, my sister, most of Holiday last year, all the guys who have turned me down when I've asked them out in the past seven months...is this a consensus? I think this pretty much is. Okay, I guess now I have to learn tactful, nice ways to say no that will not make me feel guilty. Or just how to say the word "no" in general. I may need help with this.

All in all, a nice day off. On to my transfers...

Music: The person above me playing music, along with the occasional blasting car stereo. But I did catch the last fifteen minutes of Selena, which means I have that soundtrack stuck in my head. I think that was the last good movie J.Lo ever made. Oh wait, The Wedding Planner is pretty good. But yeah, I think that was it for her.

Give me an undecided student's favourite movie, CD and book, and I can choose classes for them that will fufill general education requirements.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think I have found my calling.

In other (but still related news), Elyse, one of the secretaries in Campus Activities and Orientation, is the funniest person ever. I sat with her, Theresa, Jack, Orlando, and Mo at the Orientation dinner tonight, and I think I burned off all the calories I ate by laughing.

My orientees were excellent this session--they had already looked at the schedule of classes online, and knew a lot of what they wanted. They jumped on the registration system and, for the most part, got much of what they wanted. Very nice--I commend them. I feel bad because my groups don't nessercarily bond as well as others, but I try the best I can in the very limited amount of hours I am given with them.

Transfers on Sunday--"our peeps" as Danielle would say. I wonder how they treat an OA who has been a transfer as opposed to an OA who has not. We will see. I'll just call this as the beginning of my grad school research--especially if I get a few athletes. Today I had a wrestler--he was cool. We talked D1 residential guidelines at 1am.

For those of you keeping track: We had one orientee from Mass. this time (Martha's Vineyard), quite a few from Jersey, one from Illinois, and handful from Penn. Yes, I will be scanning the parking lots opening day to get my fill of different license plates (seeing that freshmen can't have cars, I won't get to see them throughout the year).

Music: "It's You" by Michelle Branch. I love that song--and someday, I will be able to apply it to someone. Hopefully.

Today was the first family session I worked. My parents always said that one of my flaws is that I enjoy interacting with people older than me more than people my age. Well, they were right.

At dinner, I sat with four mothers with daughters in the Nursing program. Let me just tell you, they were a hoot and a holler. I loved them! One mother was from Rochester, and it's wonderful to be able to relate things to Rochester. Speaking of that, I met another family from Rochester. The parents grew up in the same area as my own, which was interesting. It was hystarical when the father asked, "So what is the Wegmans like here?" and I said, "You know Eastway Wegmans on the border of Penfield and Webster? It's just like that," and they knew EXACTLY what I meant! The other families were great too. It seems like I have become the unofficial "out of state" OA for some of these families, because for some reason, I know random places in Jersey, Penn, and Mass (thanks to my time at Ithaca!). There are so many orientees from Mass., it seems like we're averaging about two per session. That is remarkable for a SUNY all the way down here. Penn is more common, because we're one misplaced step from there, and Jersey is mildly common. We also had a TN and a Hawaii today (yes, you read that correctly...). I love that--that was the thing I missed the most here as opposed to Ithaca, meeting people from different states, seeing the various state license plates in the parking lot. Now that's coming here, and it's great.

As I was telling some of the OAs this morning, I don't think I mind parents as much because I'm the most overprotective big sister you'll ever meet. I can relate when the parents want to grab the schedule and "help" their student, because I sometimes do the same with Megan and Sam. I need to know what they are doing in school, how it is being taught, how they are doing their homework, who they are spending time with...all of that way too motherly stuff that I shouldn't do at this age and place in my life, but do and have done always. I also spoil them rotten like a grandmother. So when I see that parent steal an extra schedule even though they really are not susposed to, I tell them why they can't have them, but I also understand. Because 1) in most situations (except for mine and some others, but most), they are paying the bills and 2) you know your child better than any advisor does. You only want the best for your child because they are your child. And while that's a difficult concept for some people to understand, you have to understand that when you're passionate about something, you may get to a point where you act in a way others percieve to be rude and annoying, but to you, it's not. Parents (for the most part) are passionate about their children. It's a given. Twenty-five years down the road, we'll be the same way in a way. (Well, give me two years--when Megan goes off to school, watch me be all annoying. I'll work on that.) I'm not saying parents should get off scot free for being annoying--when you're out of line, you're out of line--but understand that these are not random acts of rudeness and annoyingness. They have a reason and an attempted outcome.

It's off to bed--I have to give a Campus Tour tomorrow morning, and then I have to check out all of the students who stayed in Digman tonight. GO DIGMAN (my honorary hall)! It's back to students on Thursday morning. That I knew the day there was remarkable because, as LynDonna put it the other day, "I don't think of days of the week anymore, I think of Day Ones and Day Twos."

Music: Uh, none. Unless the ending of the All-Star Game is considered music. Well, the Fox Sports music they play at commerical breaks. That counts.

Yeah, it's been a while yet again. I was inspired while sitting in the Undergrounds Coffeehouse at the computers after my "crew team" was finished setting up Orientation Late Nite. Both Rachel, Dave and Clair started updating their live journals/xangas, and I thought, well, that might be a good idea.

The last week has felt like one long continuous day. Last Monday, I woke up at 6am, and have largely been sleep deprived since then. An orientation session lasts from 1pm on Day 1 to 4:30pm on Day 2 for the orientees, but for us it lasts from 8am on Day 1 to 7pm on Day 2. Within there is setting up, checking in, helping everyone with their schedules, Late Nite, registration, cleaning and filling out good ol' RCRs (room condition reports) on each room, and a wrap-up meeting, among tons of other stuff. The way I help my orientees is by sitting down with them individually and plugging in the holes in their schedules with what they want, what they need, and what they have time for, while giving them backups in case their primary class closes. It's more than likely the closest thing Harpur School freshmen will ever get to real academic advising during their time at Binghamton, which is sad, because they greatly appreciate the help and need it. You can't just tell a kid once that this is the gen ed they need, and that some gen eds are Harpur requirements and some are all university, and have that be the only time you tell them. You need that individual help, even if you read the catalog and think you understand everything.

So I stay up till 2:30am, 3am helping my orientees schedule their classes. I get up again at 6:15am and run around until 2, where I start the actual registration process with them. I teach them the computer system, give them their codes to enter and their computer lab admission ticket, and take them over to register. This took till 4pm first session, and till 3:30 second session. I don't have students again until Thursday (OA groups rotate between three separate duties, student, family, and crew), so we will have to see how long they take. Then I clean their mess they may have left behind, check the rooms, pack up my stuff (we sleep on the floor with the students in various buildings in Dickinson, and our room is always changing), and go to our wrap-up meeting. Crew is way different, much more relaxed and fun. I have family duty for the first time on Tuesday. All in all, there are nine sessions in July, and one right before everyone moves in in August, plus New Student Days and Welcome Back Weekend.

We earn our money.

All in all though, this is a great job, I've met great people, and it cements my desire to venture into higher education admin for at least a while. I think I'd like to specialize in academic advising, most likely with transfers, because that's what I like to do the best: take someones needs and likes into account and suggest a class schedule around that. That means, though, I could never work at Binghamton, because their academic advising, unlike everyone else's, does not do that. I'd also like to work with alumni development as well, as well as residential life...I think whatever is open at the time in the geographical area I want when I get out with my masters is what I will do. At some point I would love to go back into sports and event management, but I realise what a difficult field it is to get into (I was speaking to an orientee last Monday about that, because that's what she wants to do), and how many more qualified people exist in the world. Should of stuck with the original plan...but, as has become my motto in the past few months, who knows what can happen? I just like to plan, that's all. I like to plan and plan and plan some more. And while that's excellent for my career and education, it screws up my social (i.e. love) life. Because unfortunately, you can not plan who you like and plan who will like you back. You can not order a boyfriend anytime you want one, and you can not get over people as easily as you can throw something away. And while if you asked me a year and a half ago if I minded not having anyone, I minded but I really didn't care. But now, I sit here and I really mind being single. Because I'm getting older, and gosh darn it, I want all of that unconditional love stuff. I want to be able to brag and gush about someone again. Having someone around in a relationship sense is important to me now; it wasn't back a year and a half ago or so. But as you get older, I think you learn that there is more to life than just you. And I have learned that, and I have this need to share things--expierences, time, whatever--with someone.

I guess you could say I've grown up.

But what I must keep in mind is that anything can happen, and anyone can walk into your life tomorrow. But I'm impatient. I want that person today. It's a flaw of mine--I'm working on it.

And in the meanwhile, I'll lose sleep scheduling my orientees, and be distracted by my never ending work. Because I'm heading down the home strech--and I don't ever go out with a wimper.

Music: The new Michelle Branch CD, especially "Where Are You Now?", which is the story of my life, I swear. The whole CD is, actually. She is stalking me and writing songs about it, I swear.