Orientation rants.

Why is orientation spread out over 5 days? I have the attention span of a gnat. I spent Monday's "opening ceremonies" reading the NYTimes on my PDA (yay for wireless access!). I spent yesterday's program meeting doing the same thing, as all the information they covered could be found online. I understand that some people might need to attend the mandatory financial aid seminar (but why schedule four of them?), and that there are perhaps helpful talks scheduled by Career Services and the Office of Student Affairs or whatever they're called over the course of the week, and that some people might even want to shop classes - but FIVE DAYS? I have attended approximately 3 hours of events over the past two days, and only foresee myself attending 90 minutes more worth of stuff. That leaves lots of free time. Yet everything I actually have to go to is scheduled smack in the middle of the day, so I can't even do anything productive with my free time aside from nap and shop.

Not only do I have to take math for the first time since I was a junior in high school (six blissfully long years ago), I have to pay extra money to take it due to all the handouts the professor is giving us. I suppose this supplants the course packet, but still. I probably also have to buy the statistical software package so I can do my work from home instead of using library computers, because let's be honest, I only go the library under threat of death. And because I have to take math, it's preventing me from taking fun classes I actually want to take. Boo math!

While we're on that topic, did I mention that one of my classes costs well over $250 in books?

People who ask questions about classes and choosing classes and class credits and cross-registering classes etcetcetc should not ask them in a group setting. There is a reason we have advisors. Go ask your advisor. Do not ask your question in front of everybody, thereby prolonging the meeting I'm already not paying attention to.

It would help if room assignments were made clearer. Then there would be a marginally better chance that I'd actually show up for events. But very marginal.