Head’s up all those who are entering university soon!

Orientation camps are drawing closer and it’s time for you to start socializing again. Now this is either good news (if you’re a social butterfly) or bad news (if you’re a recluse).

To mentally prepare you for the camps, we arm with a list of characters you’ll meet during your orientation camps.

1. The overenthusiastic freshman

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They are the first to volunteer for anything and everything.

Need someone to demonstrate a cheer? They’re there. Did someone say they want a volunteer for a humiliating orientation game? They’re there.

Sometimes, they’re also the chirpiest in the mornings when all you want to do is fall back asleep because this is the first time in 6 months that you’re waking up before noon.

2. The reserved freshman

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Extremely quiet individuals who tend to avoid eye contact and remain in the sidelines because it takes time for them to adapt to new people.

3. The previously reserved, but now hyper, freshman

Before:

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After:

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Sometimes, once the reserved freshman breaks out of the initial awkward icebreaker period, they are usually loud and bubbly. They may even evolve into the overenthusiastic freshman.

4. The Know-it-all

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For some reason, this freshman has already made friends with half the school even though it’s only the first day of orientation. Every corner, they are stopping to wave and talk to someone.

5. The Disappearing Acts

Day 1: This freshman is there for the whole day.

Day 2: They make an appearance right before the day ends and makes some excuse about not being able to stay over.

Day 3: Yeah right. They are so over camp and chose to stay at home.

6. Those already in cliques

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Whaa..t? Was there a pre-Orientation camp that we missed?

7. That hot guy/girl you have your eyes set on

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It’s probably a full 5-day camp. Having an eye candy might make things slightly easier. Who knows? It might develop into something more.

8.The Dark Knight

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Or they sometimes call them the OGLs and AOGLs.

They’re going to be your protectors and saviors when you are still a lost freshman trying to figure out the school. They will be the ones teaching you where all the shortcuts in the school are, which lecturers are more likely to give you an A, the modules that are guaranteed A’s and which faculty has the best yong tau foo stall.

9. The Self-Appointed Cheerleader

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You know this person’s voice by heart because they initiate all the cheers, all day long. The moment you hear this person’s voice counting down, you know you’re in for another round of shouting and hurling faux insults in the form of cheers to the other teams.

10. The One You Can’t Stand

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It’s inevitable that you’re not going to like everyone in your orientation group. And you’re just waiting for someone else to start gossiping about them so you can casually slip into the conversation and join in. Let’s keep things civil though.

11. Cupid

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An orientation group is not complete without a person with some built-in love hormones detector. Any slight body language that might signal some romance brewing between two people, Cupid will make sure he or she announces it to the whole group. Endless mocking follows suit for the yet-to-be-realized-lovebirds but it’s all part of a good day’s work for Cupid.

12. The Couples

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They get together during orientation and they immediately become like two peas in a pod. You don’t even need to consider either one of them to be your partner for any activity because they’ve already got one. The Social Development Unit is proud of you guys!

13. The Couples in Denial

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They are going to get together. Somehow. Everyone in the group knows it but they’re both just too shy to admit to it and you just want to yell at them that they’re perfect for each other.

Fast-forward to 3 months into the school semester and you’ll see them canoodling up to each other in lectures.

14. Friends to help you get through university

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University can be a highly daunting time for any undergraduate. It is a whole new level of independence and rigorous learning throughout 3 to 4 years. You will be facing tons of challenges ahead in the form of never-ending readings, tight term paper deadlines, group members from hell and finals. You might fear having no friends in university or not being able to fit in.

However, people are not as sympathetic towards you as they were when you were in secondary school because you’re technically an adult. But it’s okay because you know that you have made invaluable friendships during your camping days and these friends are going to become your pillars of support as you embark on your overwhelming, but equally rewarding university journey.

If you don’t relate to any of the above even after the semester has started, I see you. I know you opted to save that $40 camp fee to stay at home and watch more TV shows in front of your computer.

Top photo from NTU Students' Union Facebook (Hey! the NTU magazine)

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