Orientation After Cornell

The first of the series, One Year Out, this column introduces readers to its theme and adjusting to life as a recent graduate.

If you are like me, before you read a column, you often skip to the end to read about the columnist first. What’s different about this Daily Sun columnist? Five years ago, I sat in Bailey Hall for Psych 101 learning about Power Sleep; four years ago, I declared a government major, diving into Causes of War; three years ago, I ate at the Statler’s Terrace restaurant, waiting in the never ending salad line for lunch; two years ago, I began writing a senior thesis, hiding in the 7th floor stacks of Olin Library; one year ago, I graduated and moved to New York City, beginning life after college.

“The city” is now my campus: Third Avenue is the new Tower Road, the street I walk on during my daily commute to work, not to class. Meetings divide my day in lieu of courses; and networking and alumni organizations have replaced the after class clubs with evening cocktails and conversations.

In trading the real world for college, life changed considerably. The transition is much like being a freshman again — we must meet friends, explore ways to get involved and navigate our way around without a map so we do not advertise our newness. But, this time, life after college is not accompanied by an Orientation Week of organized activities like a capella arch sings and barbeques, Welcome Volunteers to greet us, Resident Advisors to guide us towards resources, Club Fest to introduce organizations or tours to help us find the hot spots.

For the first time in our lives, we are really on our own as each of us forges a distinct path. At this exciting and admittedly overwhelming transition in our lives, we are introduced to work by our employer, but who introduces us to life outside of work? Orientation at Cornell helped us to find new friends, ways to relax outside of class and organizations to join. Now, it is our job to create those same opportunities for ourselves.

How do we begin?

Continue reading the column, here: Orientation After Cornell