<p>My D will be a first year student at OSU this fall. She’s interested in the Buckeye Adventures program, specifically the trip to Acadia National Park in Maine this summer. Does anyone here have experience with OSU’s pre-first-year summer camping/travel program? Was it worthwhile? Any problems?</p>
<p>Hi! I actually went on that exact trip two summers ago. I thought it was great! It was very well organized and the leaders were definitely prepared. I’ll give you a little rundown of the trip to pass on to your daughter- I don’t know if it’s still the same, but this is what we did:</p>
<p>Met on campus, played some “get to know you” games, and slept overnight on the floor of a gym/climbing center. Left early the next morning and drove to Austerlitz, New York where we camped. Then drove the next day to Maine. We stayed in a nice little campground that had actual showerhouses that were definitely nicer than I was expecting. One thing to keep in mind is that the mosquitoes in Maine are HUGE and really bad in August. Take lots of bug repellent. We were put into three different groups, and each group did one activity per day and then rotated (hiking in Acadia- it was BEAUTIFUL, sea kayaking which was definitely the highlight for me, and rock climbing in a gorgeous setting over the ocean). We also had a lobster dinner at this great place set up just for our group- really nice to be inside a building for a change! 
The other meals each group took turns preparing- I think we had hot dogs/hamburgers, spaghetti, and something else? We had some kind of little campstove to cook on. We also had some free time at nights to explore Bar Harbor (bring extra $ for shopping), walk across the bay when the tide was out, etc. On the way back we stopped in Freeport, ME for outlet shopping, which was a nice change from the other activities and helped to break up the drive a little.</p>
<p>Overall, I thought it was a GREAT way to meet some new people before the year starts- I made a really great friend who also happens to be in my major and we’re close now. The only negatives I think are that it’s a LONG drive for a few days in Maine, the bugs, and the fact that I realized I just don’t like camping (at least in tents!)! Even though I didn’t love the camping part though, I still really had a lot of fun on the trip overall. After we got back and had started school, one of the leaders who works in the First Year Experiences office actually emailed us quite a few times with different opportunities for activities, speakers, etc. based on the fact that we had participated in this program. I also thought the trip was definitely a bargain for everything you get to do!</p>
<p>If you have ANY other questions, feel free to PM me!</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for the great information. My daughter did sign up for the trip to Maine and she’s really looking forward to it. </p>
<p>Only problem - now I want to go, too!!</p>