Orientation Survival Guide

Results of the local university entrance are out! Congratulations to the fortunate ones who manage to secure a place. That's the easy part & now comes the hard part - the dreaded Minggu Orientasi (or whatever fancy name they decide to call it)

This 1st week of uni life is not going to be easy, as you are being thrust into an alien environment, trying to adapt while being subjected to a punishing schedule.

Here are a few steps to make it all more bearable....

Room
On the 1st day of orientation, it's important to arrive early & settle all the paperwork so that you can get the keys to your room. It's good to be mentally prepared before heading to your room though. Remember, you are not in your 'Home Sweet Home' territory anymore.

During my 1st day of orientation, I was shocked by the condition of my room, it's dirty, the furnitures are old & broken, the mattress is yellowish with brown stains, walls with graffiti...seriously, I had seen better prison cells!

Your room probably won't be as bad but it is still going to be messy & dirty. So, start cleaning up as soon as possible (that's when your family members will come in handy ^~^) because activities will begin in the afternoon. There isn't much time to spare really.

My room after extensive 'renovations'...those brown papers are to cover up the graffiti

The Tight Schedule
The whole week would be packed full of activities from early morning till past midnight. You won't be getting your 8 hours of beauty sleep during these 7 days for sure. A typical day will begin at 5am for the ceramah moral, continuing with various talks ending only around 1 or 2am.

The little breaks in between are usually for meals & if lucky, a quick bath. Lack of sleep is normal, heck I even stayed up to watch the World Cup final during my year. Of course, most will probably make up for their lost of sleep by taking a nap during those long boring talks. I used to do it too, that's why I did not remember much about the speeches delivered during my own orientation week hehe

Meals
Meals will be provided free of charge throughout the week. You will get about 5 to 6 meals a day but most of it will be spicy. Being tired both mentally & physically, you really won't have the appetite to gulp down all those stuff. But still you need them for energy. Drinking plenty of fluids is a must too. Sore throat is common due to eating all those curries & fried food so consult the PBSM guys for medication.

This guy doesn't seem to be bothered by the food though

Attire
Most of the activities required you to be in formal wear. Here in UKM, the guys are suppose to be wearing white shirts, black pants & gals blue baju kurung. Check your own university guidelines for confirmation & bring at least 2 sets of them.

Being in your formal clothes while rushing from one venue to another would not be pleasant. And with such a tight schedule, there is no time to wash your clothes. Even if you manage to do your laundry, it won't have time to dry. So, you will probably end up wearing the same smelly shirt for a few days (don't laugh) & 2 sets are the bare minimum to last you throughout the week.

My formal wear...hung & ready to be recycled for next day use ^~^

Footwear
You will do lots of walking during orientation so it's important to have comfortable shoes. Guys are usually fine with their leather shoes. It's the gals with heels that are going to suffer with cuts & blisters. Keep your killer heels at home & go with a more comfortable alternative. Also, bring a pair of sneakers for sports & other less formal events.

Most important of all is to have a positive attitude, after all you did manage to get into a uni right? Grumbling & whining won't do you much good...and although not exactly a pleasant experience, the orientation will be one of the things you remember from your university days (Damn! I sound so old)

Oh, to those entering UKM. Welcome to the #289 university in the world!