אורנים דוט קום – מגזין האינטרנט של מכללת אורנים

by: Avia Ben Ari |

Being an Oranim Freshman is quite an experience. While the serene atmosphere the college is located in and the wide variety of students may ease the worries of a helpless freshman, academically, the first steps of the first semester of the first year in Oranim College are rather confusing.

Before you even get into your first class (providing that you find it on time, among all the walkways and greens), you understand Oranim is not a conventional academic institution. Initially, the college and its tranquil location convey a peaceful mood (which later turns out to be misleading…);  one that  urges you to get some coffee with your new classmates (although the prices are far too high for your student budget…), or just to lie down on lawns, and hope you won’t fall asleep under the shining sun. Having said that, you soon realize you shouldn’t be fooled by the calm environment: you are here to work – and hard!

Academically, getting out of the first-year shock takes about half a semester. When you pass the English Department’s entrance exams, bragging and rejoicing, you think you’re an almighty-English speaker. Once you’ve handed in your first seemingly academic essay you re-think. The thorough academic programs a freshman is introduced to, urge students to adapt to new requirements, and to adopt some tools never thought of before. By the time the new student acknowledges it is impossible to win the battle as easily as expected and joins its leaders, an interesting shift takes place: Not only does he or she write a [čɛk lIst] for every single thing they plan to do throughout the week, they find the use of different colours on it an even more efficient tool to help complete and distinguish between their numerous tasks.

Socially, studying in Oranim is about widening your horizons both as a human being, and most importantly, as a future educator. An unconventional first-year’s classroom, consisting of a broad variety of ages and experiences, different religions and backgrounds, renders the freshman’s learning experience a much more enriching one. The ability to learn about and within cultural variation will turn this now-confused student into a more considerate person and teacher. As far as friendships are concerned, strong bonds are inevitable. While friendships may take some time to establish, in Oranim’s intensive reality not only do they form quickly, but also last and, become even tighter.

By the time you complete your first semester, you may realize that being a freshman in Oranim affects you not only within the college itself, but also in other aspects of your life: you talk to your mom in figurative devices, write “Whatsapp” message in the phonetic alphabet, critique the news broadcaster for not stressing words adequately, and wonder about the points of view from which a newspaper’s article is written. The takeover of Oranim over your life as a first year student may indeed cause confusion, but it’s nevertheless enriching. And if you skipped last night’s training since you had a quiz to study for – no need to worry! Just climbing your way up to class will compensate for that, and the best part is, that you’ll have new great friends to climb with!