<p>The two big reasons to attend Orientation are:
- meeting with your department/College advisor. They will have a lot of detailed information about your semester requirements and special major requirements. For a 5-year arch student, this may be pretty involved. Perhaps you will have a studio year and there may be classes that must be co-registered? Often, the department will have to issue you a D-Clearance, and that permit must be entered into the system along with your Student ID by the department itself. For that reason alone, I would think you would need to be on campus to complete registration. There may be forms to fill out, advisors assigned, instructions on department websites, and a million other organizational details. Orientation is a time set apart from the hustle of the start of a new semester to get all questions answered, however this is information that you will be able to make up once you arrive at school, but then you will be last in line for any open spots. </p>
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<li> At orientation, you’ll meet a lot of your incoming class and it is simply a huge social hub. A perfect way to get acquainted with future friends. This is certainly true within certain majors, as you will be split into groups by College and spend time together with those in your major. So, for the first time, you’ll hang out with others with your exact college POV (major, career path), who are smart (hey, they got into USC), and who chose USC. Trojan power!</li>
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<p>Not attending sometimes cannot be avoided. Of course it will work out, but is it the ideal way to start your college life? Freshman year is freaky enough as it is, and adjustments to housing, roommates, study habits, pledging, partying, dating, Los Angeles, and independence take a toll. If a student has real financial hardship, don’t beat yourself up. You’ll make it, even if you have to miss Orientation. However, USC runs extremely smoothly. You rarely will hear a murmur about students not getting a class they want, let alone not getting one they need. The university registration system is amazing, and you’ll be instructed how to use it at Orientation. The reason USC’s ship runs so beautifully is they have figured all these complexities out and hold summer orientation. If cannot afford it, okay. That’s that. But if you can come, come.</p>