Orientation Booklet 2012 - University of Limpopo

Orientation Booklet 2012 • Page 45TRANSITION TO UNIVERSITY LIFEFeelings at the beginningYour first year can be a time of great emotionalhustle and bustle. You may find that the wholegamut of feelings – excitement, anxiety,sadness, elation – often runs through you,with contradictory feelings sometimesmaking themselves felt simultaneously,leaving you tired and bewildered. If you doexperience such feelings to a greater extentthan before you came to the University, do notpanic!They are completely natural and due to anumber of reasons centering on what we calldisorientation, orientation and reorientation:Ÿ Separation from family and friends(disorientation)Ÿ Coming to a new environ-ment(disorientation)Ÿ Making new friends (orientation)Ÿ Getting used to the way things aredone at University (orientation)Ÿ Accepting responsibility for yourself,your education and your future (re-Orientation)Ÿ Finally settling down and beinghappy here (re-orientation)So do not be surprised if you find yourselfmoving between emotional extremes likesadness and joy at times.It is important to realize that you willexperience these feelings so that you do notmake irrational decisions such as quitting youracademic career in a down or sad period, ortake on more than you can handle in an up orjoyous period.