Not a bunch of silly games and mindless cheering which achieve nothing except make everyone fall sick from excessive laryngeal utilisation, physical exertion, and prolonged close contact with a large number of people.
Or worse, thinly disguised orgies like the scandal that erupted last year.
There will always be those who enjoy such "fun" orientation camps but I definitely am not one of them. That's why I didn't sign myself up for any.
Instead, I derived great satisfaction from the two days of orientation talks that were held on 26 and 27 July.
The topics covered ran the gamut, from bidding for modules to graduation requirements, library resources and even fire safety.
Did you know that a standard American living room needs only 48 seconds to get completely engulfed in flames due to a small spark in the lighting on a Christmas tree? I didn't either, until the presenter for the fire safety talk showed this video.
I don't have the faintest idea what the point was in telling us that. Maybe to demonstrate the awesome destructive power of fire so that we'll pay more heed to the danger?
Anyway, between the sessions, there was time for me to check out the nearest canteen, called The Deck. I had my first taste of sustenance from it as an official NUS student: a cup of fresh pure apple juice ($1.50). Delicious and reasonably priced!
I really liked the orientation talks. Much of the information can easily be found online but there's nothing like hearing it directly from the people in charge themselves.
Now I just have to anxiously await the results of my Qualifying English Test (QET) and hope I don't get forced into taking extra remedial modules... Then the excitement begins when the bidding exercise opens!
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