We've all heard it a thousand times every single year: "I'm going to college!" As students embark upon their life-changing journey to university, it might at first seem like an unbelievable, unfamiliar and distant experience. Now, imagine if instead of simply stating, "I'm going to college," you'd say, "I'm going to college-in India." How does that feel? Bizarre, strange and 100 percent unfamiliar? Well, that is exactly what being an international student and coming to Brandeis felt like for us "foreigners." Given our status as "aliens," it's obvious that we international students needed more assistance than any other given student when we first arrive at Brandeis. Nonetheless, what I experienced was the complete opposite. Some parts of orientation were well planned and engaging, but as an international student, my experience was disorganized and simply did not give me the appropriate amount of time to orient myself to life in a new country.

Don't get me wrong: The orientation leaders were extremely helpful from the very start, but it was clear that the activities weren't well thought-out. For instance, the little schedule booklets that were handed out to us as we drove into Brandeis designated time for unpacking from 2 to 4 pm. However, during this time, we also needed to pick up our room keys, pick up our campus phones, get our student ID cards (for which there was a huge line), confirm our meal plans, pick up our keys at the mail room, set up our bank accounts-oh, and I almost forgot, unpack.

Given that we international students had to travel miles and miles away from our homes to Brandeis, we probably brought a lot more clothes and goods than someone from, let's say, New York. (Unless of course your Yiddishe mamme was helping you pack; in that case, even if you live in Waltham, you probably brought more personal belongings than someone from China). As you, the international student, are unpacking what seems to be an endless ocean of luggage, you realize that you'll need a fan because it's scorching hot in your dorm. Problem number one: You need to go out to the local Target-a 40-minute trip-to buy a few more things, which you didn't foresee needing, but you only have 20 minutes left until your AIDE group meeting. Taking your personal necessities into consideration first, you probably skip lunch, dinner or another icebreaker event. And even if you do make it back to the 4 p.m. AIDE group meeting, you probably won't go to the 6 p.m. Roosevelt Reception in the Levin Ballroom because of everything else you need to take care of. In this manner, people show up at uneven intervals, making it impossible for a formal activity to be made concrete.

However, it doesn't end there. Most international students, coming from faraway nations like Kenya, don't have with them that crucial communication apparatus that I like to call a cell phone. Since cell phone companies aren't brought onto campus to facilitate this inconvenience, you must make your own time to go check out the famous four: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Trust me when I tell you this is a long task. The options are endless, and may take up a whole afternoon, if not longer.

All in all, if there had been a clear schedule that would have given students the time to settle down and get acquainted with their new home, there would have been less disorientation at orientation.