I applied to Brandeis early decision and was accepted on Oct. 18 of my senior year of high school. Needless to say, I've known for quite a long time that Brandeis was my destiny, my soon-to-be new home. So over the summer, when orientation packets began to arrive in my mailbox, I couldn't help but get excited. Yet as the day grew closer when I would descend upon Brandeis, I have to admit that the excitement was slowly being replaced with anxiety.

The inevitable questions of a freshman began racing through my mind: my roommate, my room, the people, my classes, the food, moving 3,000 miles away from home-it was overwhelming. By the time that move-in day finally arrived, I felt speechless (for me, quite a rare occasion) and lost.

As my mom and I pulled into campus in our completely packed mid-size rental car, we were swarmed by orange shirts, moving boxes and, of course, 700 other families going through the same organized chaos.
However, I want to give the orientation leaders, the radio station and everyone else that was present on the first day major props. These volunteers were bottomless pits of energy and they relieved some of my anxiety by greeting me with smiles, awesome music and the wonderful service of carrying my six boxes and five large suitcases up the three floors of stairs to my dorm room.

The days that followed are a bit of a blur. The schedule was jam-packed with activities, meals and mixers. While at times I felt as if I was being herded, being in large groups of equally confused kids kept me from feeling alone. The parts of orientation that stand out in my mind are the speakers and the evening activities.

My two favorite daytime programs were "Treasures from the Deep: Brandeis History" and the speech/performance, "Toto, We're not in Kansas Anymore," by Dr. Maura Cullen.

After choosing Brandeis, I prided myself on knowing a lot about about my chosen school, like the impressive alumni, the faculty and the student-to-teacher ratio. However, the "Treasures from the Deep" program floored me. I was overcome by the powerful and present existence here at Brandeis, a feeling that wasn't fully possible until actually being here.

I was captivated by the nostalgic stories shared with us by University President Reinharz and the faculty that were present. The program made me feel a strong a sense of appreciation to be at this incredible institution and to have access to its opportunities, history and legacy.

While the history presentation bonded me to the University, the presentation by Cullen bonded our class. As we listened to the metaphor that people are like cars, coming in all shapes, sizes and colors, I caught a vibe of mutual respect from everyone present in the room. Cullen gave us a friendly perspective on everyone's different lives; this made us all proud of the class of 2009. A particularly memorable moment was when all of our international students stood up and proclaimed loudly their country of origin, which was followed each time by roaring applause from the audience.

The daytime activities were filled with more informative sessions, making the night activities a perfect setting for us to meet even more members of our class. Maybe you met a new friend sitting next to you while playing blackjack at the casino night, or maybe you, like myself, laughed at our hypnotized classmates acting like everything from princesses to the "outback" exotic dancers on the stage.

With the jam-packed days and nights, the week has really flown by. I've managed to attend my first college classes, keep my dorm room reasonably clean, figure out the difference between meals and points, and, of course, make great new friends. The anxiety that consumed me on move-in day has finally subsided and I'm comfortable here at Brandeis.

Thanks to an outstanding orientation, I'm excited for what I know is going to be an amazing year. To my class of 2009, I'm certain this year will be full of great learning and great fun, and I wish the best of luck to everyone.