Orientation
I sat in the reserved auditorium for freshmen orientation filled to the brim with eager students ready to learn. I quietly chuckled at those naive students who don't understand that it doesn't get easier after high school. I mean It's not as simple as going to college, getting a job, and living happily ever after. The world is a cruel place, and just when you think you have life figured out, it pulls the rug from under your feet, leaving your ass sore.
The dean was speaking about zero tolerance for crime, but I knew that those rules didn't apply to the "elite". He went on to talk about how we are the future and blah blah blah.
"So without further ado, the dorms. I have to apologize. We had a mix-up or a glitch in the system, and we have taken on more students than we can house in our dorms. We did not catch this until this morning so it looks like we dropped the ball." He chuckled awkwardly. Murmuring began to erupt among the students while I sat with a blank expression. Why not panic like these other poor bastards, you ask? I told you: life. "Now students come on, calm down. We've come up with an excellent solution."
"What's the bright idea, huh?" A random male student shouted from the back.
"Disregarding your tone, young man, we have a lot of other family housing available. The houses are reserved for faculty and students with families that want to stay close to campus. We can group you guys, and because it was our mistake, we will discount room and board. You will still get the college experience, although you are a little further from the dorms."
"How will we be grouped?" Asked some random girl. Some students began to cry about how this was their first-choice school and it was too late to choose another.
"It will be random and co-ed to accommodate all students." My ears perked up at this. I didn't want roommates, let alone male roommates. Hell, I didn't want to be in college, but it was the next best step in my life. I could no longer tolerate my home life so whether or not I finished college didn't really matter, although it would be great for my long-term goals. Right now, all that mattered was my safety.
"What the hell! My parents are never going for that!" Another random student yelled, breaking me from my inner thoughts.
"I'm sorry, but that is the best we can do. We will send the info in the mail, and keys will be ready for pick up or delivery in a week at the Access and Security residence hall. You may log into your student account to choose the option that is better for you. That will be all. Hope to see you guys next week."
He walked out of there as fast as he could to avoid further questioning. The auditorium begins to clear, and I slowly joined the river of students as they flowed out the door. As I headed back to my hotel room, all I could think of was that this was going to be one hell of a college experience.
