Anyone who has already attended the orientation, would you be able to provide some details on what was covered and how it went. We are OOS and debating whether a parent should attend since it is optional. Also any idea on what time the orientation ends on day two so that we can book the return flight. It looks the U provides accommodation for overnight stay only.
The information provided was helpful (safety, dining, housing, transition, academic support, greek life, clubs, department meetings, financial aid meetings, gold card, TCF options, etc . . . ) and they mixed it up enough to keep us engaged. I am generally someone who cannot handle 8 hours of information but it was presented very well. The second day my daughter was done by about 11:00 because she was one of the first to register. They say it can be as late as 4.
@ak200008 I attended the first session with my daughter last week. If you have never been on campus and/or if this is your first child away to college, then I would say it is very useful, but still optional. Most, if not all of the information presented can be found online or by calling. If you have a lot of questions for staff, these sessions might also be beneficial. There are presentations on almost every topic from financial aid to billing to safety to greek life, etc. There’s also a small “fair” with booths from various campus organizations.
If you previously attended an admissions/campus/general tour, then I’d say it may not be worth the expense, especially if you don’t mind them traveling and attending alone at this point. The light rail from airport connecting to the campus line seems safe and is often patrolled by police who check that you bought the necessary ticket. I have no problems with my daughter traveling alone, but she’s made the trip a number of times already.
My daughter was done well before noon on day two, so we had a lot of time before our evening flight back. She had a 9am class registration session that took roughly an hour, then she got her Ucard and accounts setup and we did some shopping at the bookstore. I assume some students have later registration session times, and perhaps the lines for the university accounts are longer at some times, but there was essentially no line when we were there. She was told that all students should be done by 4pm, so I had booked a 6:30pm flight.
I wish I had saved the parent syllabus but I can’t seem to locate it. I didn’t find the sessions to be all that useful personally, but it was nice to be there with my daughter nonetheless. Evening on day one is on your own, though there is an optional cost city tour I did not take. The student has separate activities planned for them that night. Most parent sessions are not with the student, but there was a college-specific one where you attend together. I actually skipped out on the parent sessions after that one and went to see a Twins game;-)
I also completed orientation with my daughter last week. Much of the material in the parent schedule was previously covered on prior tours and admitted student day, but there was some good new info as well. If possible, I would send at least one parent with the student. On day 2, I saw kids done as early as 9:30 and others still not done until past lunch. To move things along that day with registration, I would highly recommend having your student get on schedule builder, become familiar with the platform, create a first schedule based on major and open classes and have a list of 3-5 back up classes that would work as well:
https://schedulebuilder.umn.edu/
Good luck!
Thanks @nursemom92, @illinoisx3 and @dhart87 for the details. We couldn’t register for orientation online. we called the office and apparently all the slots have been filled up and the only one available is Aug 27th. That was unexpected. Does this mean that we are at a disadvantage when it comes to registering for desired classes? We plan to call on a daily basis to see if there are any cancellations
I think they said they hold a certain number of spots in freshman classes for the later orientation/registration dates. The August dates sound like they are filled with students who couldn’t get away from work, or who come from quite a distance and I am sure the university would want to make sure they get a fair chance to get required courses.
My first child registered a few years ago at a later date, and he didn’t get good time slots for one science class so he had a 12 hour day one day, but he was able to get all the classes that he needed. The freshman seminars were limited so he did end up with an elective that wasn’t his first choice. Current child registered on day one this year and has a much better schedule than first child did.
Truly trivial for those staying overnight inYudof Hall…
My only (minor) “complaint” is that the light switch is across the room from the bed.
If you are coming from out of town and staying overnight in Yudof Hall, bring a flashlight and a cup for water. The accommodations are certainly very good, and I certainly appreciate the inexpensive option, but dorm rooms are spartan.
On the plus side, the AC was plenty good. I was worried about that since Sunday was so hot.
Oh, I should also say I’m glad I came. The information was useful. Since this is my first kid, it was largely new to me. The CSE meeting with the kids was very good. It was aimed at the kids, but I’m glad I got to hear it since some of the points made will be worth discussing further.