The New Age of the “Human Touch”

Throughout high school, the word “college” became everyone’s least favorite word. It gave students this mindset that you had to be a perfectionist: the perfect test scores, the perfect resume, the perfect attendance, and so on. Yet after sifting through numerous applications and months of tedious waiting, I finally replaced the vague term with something a bit more exciting – Florida Tech! If there is one thing that I have come to love most about this school thus far, it would have to be the overall diversity. Like mentioned earlier, many of us are familiar with our school’s high expectations, but I believe it goes far beyond the numbers shown on paper. Every student I’ve had the pleasure of meeting at Orientation has something brilliant to share with the Class of 2015. It could be something as simple as a hidden talent or adjusting to a brand new culture. I know that every single person here fits perfectly into the equation of the “human touch”.

I’ll admit, the first day of Orientation was scary, quiet, and too casual for someone as upbeat as me. Yet, I had even gone the extra mile of tagging along fellow Panthers that I had gone to high school with just in case. Thinking that I would always have someone to talk to during registration, the most unfortunate event happened. If you’re wondering, it wasn’t that I forgot to print my Panther Pass. I was actually separated from my friends. Of course this all sounds ridiculous, however at the time it was uncomfortable to stand in the middle of the Clemente Center staring at everyone. It wasn’t until thirty minutes later I decided to be confident and introduce myself to the girl in front of me. And well, I had just made my first friend at college. To think that things could only get better from this point on, she just happened to be in the same department as me! It was a rather refreshing experience, although it took me awhile to open up.

Looking back at Orientation as a whole, I wish I could do it all over again. I wouldn’t so much go into  “starting over” or “what I would do differently” type of notion. If anything, my first lesson at Florida Tech would be to take the risk and become a part of the student body. My advice to anyone who felt that they struggled in making friends, you’re not alone. I myself had some trouble at first, but now I feel right at home. This week, I challenge everyone to get out there and make at least one new friend. Whether it be at the dining hall or at the SUB’s (Student Union Building) infamous ping pong table, the people that make up our campus are amazing, yet they won’t know it unless you show it. Plus, how else would you make your college experience unforgettable without even trying?

Now that we’ve almost conquered the first week, I wish all my new (or soon-to-be) friends a warm welcome to Florida! I hope to see all, or some, of you around. Coming from a local, you won’t regret it!