Orientation Day!

It's Orientation Day!

This is basically the first day that we are really acknowledged as students, so I was excited. I was looking forward to listening to what they had to say and hopefully receiving my student kit. I figured that would be a lot like an early Christmas for me.

I got all dressed up in the school dress code of white and black and set off for the school, looking a lot like this.



When I got there they set up our clock-in codes. At Empire they seem to be very, very serious about your hours. This is understandable considering the number regulations governing their ability to receive financial aid. It was really stressed to us that our hours are our hours, that is that. If you forget to punch in, you're just going to miss that time and have to make it up later.

To clock in, this school uses a hand-scanner. When you're added to the system, the scanner measures your hand. The only issue with this system is that, should you alter your nail length or wear too much jewelry on your hands, it won't recognize you. Pretty cool system even still.

Unfortunately, I was informed that I'm not really allowed to take many photographs. It seems that this is for student privacy reasons. I'll still be taking pictures of my own items to share with you as time goes on, but I won't be able to share much in the way of in class photos or photos of this orientation.

After a short wait, the new students were led into a classroom where we were greeted by most of the school staff with applause and given folders containing loads of important information.



During orientation everything in this packet was gone over thoroughly. An added emphasis on professionalism was provided by the new director of education at the school. She looks like someone who holds themselves to high standards and expects the same of others. She is very thin and somewhat severe looking but definitely nice enough. I understand that she has already started to make a number of positive changes within the school.

All in all I felt extremely welcome, non-intimidated and, for the first time, a bit less nervous about this whole endeavor.

But I still didn't get my student kit. :(

(Next: On Financial Aid and Scholarships)