UWM first-year students arrive at orientation and are herded like sheep into an exceptionally vast ballroom. Here, my fellow first-years and I sit waiting to feel some belonging.
I’m lost to my thoughts for many of the opening moments. As my mind wanders, I think of my mother. A sudden sharp pang of anguish washes over me. The speaker jolts me out of my thoughts.
“I was once sitting at orientation just like you. I was all alone until I introduced myself to the person sitting next to me. We became friends, and we were close for the rest of college and still are today,” the speaker says. A convenient story, I tell myself.
I chose UWM for two reasons: cost and internships. Milwaukee’s Journalism, Advertising & Media Studies (JAMS) program was too good to refuse. I disregarded everything else; student life, location, etc. I was assured those pieces of my educational puzzle would fall into place. Now I sit uncertain about that. What if I made an error in narrowing my search down to simply a few factors?
“As you go about today, I urge you to get to know the people around you, make connections,” the speaker says. This call to action challenges my complacency. My thought process completely shifts from skeptical to intrigued. Here I am again: freshman, first day.
The real meat and potatoes of orientation was class scheduling. This was the root of my anxieties. My academic advisor calls my name, and I enter the proverbial lion’s den. I sit across from her in a cramped office, and I experience a moment of déjà vu.
For every undertaking the day has held thus far, I can think back to its high school parallel. Sure, UWM is a completely new school with thousands of people I have never met before; but ultimately, this nausea-riddled experience is something I felt four years ago walking into high school for the first time. 30 minutes later, a brand-new man (or simply one with his first semester schedule) emerges.
At lunch, I converse with Mazen, a fellow College of Letters and Science major whom I sat next to for most of the process thus far. We share our hopes for this new world, as well as our fears.
“Why does this micro fridge company keep sending me mail?” I ask. He laughs at the absurdity. “I think it’s the only one allowed in the dorms,” he muses.
We share a moment of in-depth reporting on the quality of the dining hall food. “The rice is dry, but the chicken’s okay,” Mazen offers. This is the hard-hitting journalism I came to college for.
I’m a UWM student now. Perhaps the post-meal digestion finally brings it to realization. Until this point, I have been having serious imposter syndrome. Moving through the remainder of this unbearably humid day was smooth sailing.
After lunch, we disperse into small groups and play icebreaker games. Along with answering questions, our orientation leaders aim to get us downright ecstatic about tackling the challenges college entails. During this breakout period, I learn that one of our leaders, Ethan Ainley, happens to be an editor for the UWM Post. Convenient story.
Rounding out the experience in the student union is somewhat of an “ask all workshop,” where students and faculty sit behind tables waiting to set apprehensive first-years’ minds at ease.
Here is where people file into different groups: the merch lovers, who head straight for the Panther shop; the disoriented, who visit every table to ensure nothing is missed; and the overheated. Everyone fits into the third category.
Having made it to the other side of orientation, looking out on move-in day, I feel immense relief. UWM is more than just an internship opportunity; it’s our home for the next four years.
Instead of sheep, I would prefer to look at our class as sculptors who will help shape our world’s future. We’re all Panthers now.
This was included in MKZine!
“MKZine: Student Lifestyle Guide” – Volume 1, Issue 1 – September 2026
“MKZine: Student Lifestyle Guide” is available for viewing online here: https://uwmpost.com/special-projects/mkzine-uwm-student-lifestyle-guide
