Hello, I’m going to be attended Case Western Reserve University in the fall, and while filling out the student checklist I saw there was an optional 3-day ‘Adventure’ put on by the school.
Would anyone who has done one of these in the past be willing to share their experiences with it? It’s seems really interesting! I’d like to see some student feedback on it to see if the experience is worth it.
I am a Case parent, not a student. My son did the three day Cleveland Adventure and it was good for him. He is shy and it got him right into the city environment. He also got to go to a Six Flags Park, which relaxed him, as he had been to such a thing before in Colorado. They visited a water park, and also a botanical garden/zoo. It was a good social opportunity and got him there early and relaxed more. Upper classman go long and thats helpful to meet a few older students. The only down side for us was my husband had to hang around for the three days, waiting for parent orientation. I think they have tours for parents too, you can ask about that. . Other Case freshmen went on a camping trip to Western Pennsylvania for their three day adventure. Go for the three day program. It puts you on campus before the “rush” and you may meet your roommate if he/she is also doing this. You can ask him or her.
I did the “Serves!” Adventure last summer. I figured it would be less popular than the others, and it was. 
There were three other freshmen and two leaders, a sophomore and a junior. I was a shy commuter student with no particular interest in making friends, but I think the Adventure was beneficial because I got to see the campus and some of its offerings (specifically, the Center for Civic Engagement and Learning) before the regular orientation. This made it easier to get involved when school started.
Here are the activities I remember (not in order):
Dinner in Thwing Center and icebreaker games on campus.
Watching Toy Story 3 outside with other Adventures participants.
Trolley tour of Cleveland.
Meeting with CCEL staff to learn about volunteer opportunities during the school year.
Scavenger hunt in Ohio City.
Picking up trash outside the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside.
Pulling weeds at an urban organic farm.
Picnic at Edgewater Park.
Colossal Cupcakes and bowling at the Corner Alley downtown.
Happy Dog restaurant.
Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy.
Breakfast in Thwing on the last day.
They give you cash for the restaurants and events, so you shouldn’t need a lot of spending money.
Do any of the adventure programs interact with other adventure programs? Wondering since some groups may be much smaller than the others. I suppose since they will be on Campus early they probably would. Just checking for my S. He signed up for “Eats”. A few are already closed.
We interacted with other groups whenever we could. The introduction and closing events in Thwing are intended for all Adventures participants.
is it bad if you don’t do an adventure? It seems like a lot of people are doing it. Do you know how many people aren’t doing an adventure?
Most people don’t do an Adventure. The regular orientation will provide lots of opportunities to meet people and learn about the university.