Chicago: Getting Orientated

by Brett Jasper

Orientation during the first week was interesting. After some introductions from the Chicago Semester instructors and general info, we got a crash course on how to navigate the city and avoid danger, which is mostly common sense and trusting your instincts.

We played a few icebreaker games, which I generally don’t enjoy, but all in all, the program did a good job of helping us get to know each other. The activities I found to be the most helpful were when we were broken up into small groups and sent out into the city to have lunch or dinner together. Phil also taught us how to use the “conversation stack” (Google it) to help us avoid those awkward conversation lulls that tend to happen when people first meet.

A few days in we found out where we would each be interviewing for internships and were given times to meet individually with Chicago Semester instructors to help us clear up anything we needed clarified. We also had mock interviews with instructors to prepare us for the real ones in the coming days.

There was plenty of downtime and research time during this period where we were able to get to know each other even better. With only about 50 students in the program, you’re bound to meet everyone eventually. And commuting to and from the office gave me a feel for how long it takes to get to places in the city. The office is located in the Loop, which is basically the hub of downtown Chicago where all the trains meet and “loop” around a few blocks.