What in the world is AO?

It’s almost July, which means Advisor Orientation is less than 60 days away. Which also means you’re starting to wonder about what AO is and what it will be like.

But fear not. For the PRCAs are here yet again to answer all your burning questions.

The details of AO remain a secret. The RLM Team is working hard to create the best possible AO for this August and we have no doubt that it will be as awesome as past years (if not better)! But the burning question remains: what will AO be like for me? To answer that, we’ve decided to share some of our awesome experiences about AO.

What is…AO?

You can think of Advisor Orientation as a giant school of fish. Everyone goes everywhere together. For most of the tail end of August, all the advisors (new and returners), spend a lot of time together. This time consists of learning, socializing, and making some wonderful life-long connections with each other. If you ask any of the returners they will tell you that AO has always been one of the highlights of their time in ResLife.

Setting Sail on the AO Journey

Best advice we can give you about starting AO: don’t be nervous. Yes, you might be walking into a room of 40-something people and not knowing a single person. But by the time the first day ends, you will have met and made some of your closest friends for the year. So be excited and get ready to be hit by waves of new connections and friendship!

AO Burnout (AKA FOMO)

FOMO – fear of missing out. Everyone gets it, especially during AO. But fear not, for everyone also understands. If you’re the type of person who values their alone time and recharge time, don’t worry! While AO is a time to meet your coworkers for the year, the expectation is by no means that you spend every second of everyday with these people. Taking time for yourself is okay and you won’t be missing out on anything. There will be so many moment during the year to continue to make connections with your team, so don’t worry about doing everything with everyone. Self-care is always important and should come first!

As the hour of AO comes closer, remind yourself that everything will be okay and that you will have a great time. It is okay to feel overwhelmed, but just make sure that you keep swimming through the sea that is Advisor Orientation!

And remember, the PRCAs can’t wait to meet you!

With love,

The PRC