From the applications, recommendations and deadlines to anticipating that letter in the mail—has led you to this: freshman orientation. Orientation, much like the next 4 years, really and truly is what you make of it. Besides the introductory de rigueur, such as registering for classes, placement tests and building tours, it’s your first chance as an official student to connect with your campus and get a feel for what the next four years have in store.

First things first: do your research. Read (or at least skim) through the orientation packet and familiarize yourself with the seminars, tours, skits and activities. Now that the necessary arrangements have been made, what else is there? Depending on your state of mind, orientation can be a pleasant introduction or, let’s be honest, a huge let-down. But no matter what your personality or outlook, you can benefit from the experience.

The Shy Type

Entering a new and unfamiliar environment can be overwhelming for anyone, but if you’re already shy by nature, orientation can be downright scary. Fear not! Keep in mind that everyone’s in the same boat. They are unsure of what to expect and, most likely, don’t know many people. Part of the fun and excitement of going to college is that you can be whoever you want to be. This is not to say you shouldn’t be yourself. Rather, think of it as an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. Start a conversation with someone in your walking group. Ask where they’re from or what they’re thinking of studying. Meal times can be a little more intimidating. If you’re not totally comfortable with walking up to strangers, find a quiet spot to eat alone and think of it as your chance to soak in your surroundings and absorb all the new information.

The Never-Been-Away-From-Home Type

So you’re flying the coop. Instead of focusing on what you’ll be leaving behind, try to think about what lies ahead: new friends, getting to know a different town, and most of all, being independent. For orientation, opt to stay in the dorms instead of at a hotel with your parents. You’ll be able to share with your fellow newbies what you’re apprehensive about as well as what you’re excited about. It helps to talk out your fears with others who probably have the same ones. Most importantly, when you’re at the campus, try to imagine yourself there: eating lunch at the student center or walking to class with your future roommates. It may seem like a long time now, but you only have four or so years at college; make the most of it as soon as you can.

The Overly Enthused Type

This category is two-fold: First, you’re the Type A frosh who’s already chosen your fall schedule. While it’s smart to be on top of your game, orientation is also about meeting new friends, getting the skinny on extra-curriculars, and finding out the best places to eat on campus. Find another person who also seems enthusiastic and swap what you’ve learned. Or instead of attending yet another department info session, find out who wants to grab lunch at the local eatery.

On the other side of the overly enthused coin is the first year who thinks college is a non-stop party and orientation is nothing more than their first dip into the social pool. You plan on sleeping through class registration and would rather find out where the party is than take a language placement exam. First of all, good luck making it past the first semester, much less to graduation. There’s a reason schools go to such great lengths to have such a structured orientation—doing this on your own isn’t easy! Take advantage of the upperclassmen, faculty, and staff available. Ask questions and acquaint yourself with where everything is. Get your schedule straight. Make sure you’re prepared for your next phase of adulthood. And everyone knows adults have more fun.

The Unenthused Type 

Often times the most successful student is the one who makes the most of their situation. Remember that first impressions stick and no one wants to be friends with the person who looks up set that they’re there. Learn about the various organizations, classes that sound interesting and social activities. Every campus has something to offer, as long as you’re open-minded.

You are now properly equipped for whatever the orientation gods may have in store for you. Worst case scenario, you’re underwhelmed with the whole experience. That’s okay. You’re just getting a taste of what’s to come.

http://www.unigo.com/articles/getting_the_most_out_of_orientation/

To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kindness that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. -- Albert Schweitzer

As the study of happiness and emotional well-being gains popularity in psychological and scientific study (it has long been popular in the fields of religion and philosophy), there is increasing research on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for health and mental/emotional well-being. In this article I will review some of the recent findings about the relationship between gratitude and health, and will then outline some ways to increase the experience and expression of gratitude in your life.

Researchers like Martin Seligman, Robert Emmons, and Michael McCullough are turning their attention to the study of gratitude and its relationship to health and mental well-being. I will present some of their findings here to help us understand how gratitude is helpful and why it's important to our well-being.

• People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis have been found to exercise more regularly, have fewer physical symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and feel more optimistic about their upcoming week as compared to those who keep journals recording the stressors or neutral events of their lives.
• Daily discussion of gratitude results in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy, and sleep duration and quality. Grateful people also report lower levels of depression and stress, although they do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.
• People who think about, talk about, or write about gratitude daily are more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or offered emotional support to another person.
• Those with a disposition towards gratitude are found to place less importance on material goods, are less likely to judge their own or others success in terms of possessions accumulated, are less envious of wealthy people, and are more likely to share their possessions with others.
• Emerging research suggests that daily gratitude practices may have some preventative benefits in warding of coronary artery disease.

You might be asking yourself how this all works. There is a complex relationship between thoughts, moods, brain chemistry, endocrine function, and functioning of other physiological systems in our bodies. While an in-depth discussion of this relationship is beyond the scope of this article, suffice it to say that our thoughts can actually trigger physiological changes in our body that affect our mental and physical health. Basically, what you think affects how you feel (both emotionally and physically). So if you increase your positive thoughts, like gratitude, you can increase your subjective sense of well-being as well as, perhaps, objective measures of physical health (like fewer symptoms of illness and increased immune functioning).

There are some very simple ways to increase your experience and expression of gratitude. As Albert Schweitzer notes in his above quotation about gratitude, increasing our conscious awareness of gratitude may require that we train ourselves to think differently. This can be done by incorporating some simple exercises into your life. For example, you might begin to keep a gratitude journal, as noted above in some of the research. Gratitude journals can take many forms, but one way of doing this is to simply write down one thing that you are grateful for each day.

It can be something that happened that day, something you felt, or someone in your life who has made a positive impact on you.

Alternatively (or additionally), you can speak your expressions of gratitude. You can engage a friend or romantic partner in a daily discussion about what you are grateful for. This might take the form of questions like, "What was the best part of your day today?", or "What is one thing that made you feel really happy today?" This kind of discussion not only helps to increase your own awareness of all that you have to be grateful for, but can also promote positive connection and experiences in your relationship with whomever you choose to have these exchanges. For example, instead of having dinner with a friend or partner and talking about all the stressors of your day, this kind of discussion leads you both to focus on the positive things, which in turn helps the stressors feel less significant, and helps you feel happier when around your friend or partner. Basically, gratitude promotes gratitude.

If you find that you're very busy and unable to stick to a regular gratitude practice, see if you can train yourself to notice things, in the moment, that you are thankful for. They can be small things: maybe you notice that your bed is very comfortable, that your lunch is tasty, that a good friend said something nice to you, etc. It is easy to take these kinds of experiences for granted and not direct our conscious awareness to them. But training yourself to notice these kinds of things and really feel grateful for them can help increase your own experience of happiness.

For those of you who have watched the popular movie "The Secret", you are aware of the Law of Attraction that was portrayed and has been written about prolifically. The Law of Attraction states that whatever you think about or talk about will be drawn into your life. If this is true, thinking about what you are grateful for will draw more of that to you. It seems like that's worth a try!

From UMass Dartmouth
http://www.umassd.edu/counseling/forparents/reccomendedreadings/theimportanceofgratitude/