Wow, what a crazy and exciting week this has been. I am incredibly proud to say that I am now typing this post in the lovely accommodations of my dorm room here at FIT. It’s crazy to see how my entire life has turned upside down and inside out in only a matter of days. Here is the basic move in procedures that any freshmen or new students will follow once you join the Florida Tech family and a few tips to help you along the way…
The day before:
After waiting months and months to move out and wishing for time to go faster, the day arrives. You are all packed and ready to go! Now it is time to grab the van (or plane) and head on over to Melbourne, FL where your whole new life will take place. Some of you will be taking a rather long drive from far away states, so it’s a good idea to bring entertainment for the countless hours of driving. Also, pack some clothes and beauty products separately if you will be traveling for a few days. If you are an international student or you just have packages that are too big to bring with you, mail them to the shipping and receiving building at FIT. That way, all your personal belongings will be there waiting for you once you arrive!
The day of:
Having finally arrived and exploding with excitement (like I was) you will be directed to the Check-in services to kick off your orientation. Beware: it is posted that you can check-in between 8 am and 1 pm, but the lines are incredibly long around 9:30 to 10:00. That is usually when everyone else decides to show up as well, so be ahead of the crowd and show up early (or late if you don’t need that much time to unpack) and beat the crowds.
After receiving all the paperwork and keys from check in, the fun part arrives- moving in! Once you pull up to your residence hall or building, there will be a lot of students and staff from Greek Life helping you unload everything from your car and into your room I was amazed at the efficiency speed of the whole process. We parked and literally five minutes later everything was inside of my room thanks to some very kind Greek boys, as opposed to the fifteen minutes it took for me to load the van.
As confusing and messy as packing is, unpacking is twice as bad. Since you’re in a completely new environment, it is very hard to determine where to place everything and how to get the most out of your tiny living space. Don’t attempt to unpack everything in one day, for there is too much going on for you to miss it out and there will be plenty of time other days to figure everything out.
Within the week:
Orientation is all about freshmen and new students, so take advantage of it! There are so many activities that the Orientation team has set up in order to learn everything there is to know about Florida Tech and how to get acquainted. Once you arrive, you will be placed into Color War teams based on your rooming (yes, locals are included as well) and will have Panther Pep Leaders that will be your guides for the week. I was placed in the best team here; team ORANGE! Go to all the night games like the obstacle course, the giant game of twister or the human knot game. It’s a very fun and different way to meet your neighbors and to release all the stress from weeks past.
Don’t be afraid of exploring the campus on your own and getting used to your surroundings. Two things that are very important to locate are the laundry room and the mail room. For Columbia Village, the laundry is in the main building, very close and conveniently located. Be sure to stop by the mail room and acquire your box number and combination. This way, you’ll be able to check your mail from home or any packages you might be receiving.
Overall, this past week has been feeling like I am living in a dream. Ever since I was in middle school I have dreamed of the day I would be arriving at Florida Tech and going through my very own orientation process. So far, it has been nothing short of extraordinary. Keep in touch Panthers!
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