| July 26–August 1, 2006, Number 404
ParentNET
A slice of campus life written by an MTU student
 One of Orientation's traditions is a 500-foot banana split. Here the Orientation Team Leaders prepare the treat. (Photos on this page are from Orientation and move-in day 2005.)
Part One:
Gearing Up for Orientation
The countdown begins . . . four weeks left until Fall Orientation 2006! In order to prepare yourselves and your students for orientation, it is nice to know a little about what to expect on campus and in the community as well. So for this week and next week, I am writing about a few points that I wish I would have heard about before I began my college career at Michigan Tech.
Parking
Parking is much better at Michigan Tech than it is at other schools. The furthest parking lot is no more than a 10 or 15 minute walk away. There are also meter-parking areas available. If your student is living in the residence halls, and they will be a freshman, then they will be most likely assigned to the parking lot that is located behind the forestry building. We do have a lot almost 2 miles away that students can use if they have trailers, etc. If your student is a returning student who is moving back into the residence halls, they will most likely get priority parking behind the residence halls. This is definitely one of the perks to moving back after your first year!
Parking is free for students unless you are a commuter student. Commuter passes are $25.00 per semester, so $50.00 for the entire school year, since parking is free in the summer. Student who live on-campus will still need to obtain a parking pass. Students can register for their passes online.
You can also see maps of our parking areas online.
 Food & the Dining Halls
Many parents worry that their student will not get enough to eat when they are away from home. Well, do not fear! We have three dining halls (one in each residence hall) that have very convenient dining hours. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the weekdays, and then brunch and dinner on the weekends. Weekly menus are always posted online. We also have a campus café located in the basement of Wadsworth Hall which is open in the evenings. There are also vending machines located all across campus, and the Memorial Union Building serves a great breakfast and lunch that your student can buy with the dining dollars included as part of your student’s meal plan.
Many parents also like to send care packages, so many of my friends have received home-cooked food and bakery in the mail. Students are also allowed to have their own food in their rooms, which is very convenient if your student is planning on brining a refrigerator and microwave. There are also lounges or kitchenettes on each residence hall floor if your student would like to use a stove for cooking or baking their own food.
If you would like to learn more about Michigan Tech dining and to see the dining hall hours, additional information is available from Housing and Residential Life.
On-Campus Jobs
One of the things that many students worry about when they first come to our campus is finding on on-campus job (there are also a lot of off-campus jobs available as well). MTU Counseling Services recommends that students, especially in their first semester, work no more than 10 hours a week. However, as your student gets more involved and feels more comfortable in their new surroundings, their capability may change. I currently have three on-campus jobs, so trust me, they’re not hard to find! The key is to know who to talk to and to apply early. The knowing who to talk to part will come as your student gets more involved on campus. But applying early can be done now!
 Weather
And one of the biggest notables is our weather. Yes, our weather changes a lot. Yes, we get over 200 inches of snow in the winter. However, all of our local road commissions and residents know how to handle it! It will probably be fairly warm and humid when Orientation rolls around, so that’s why we recommend bringing fans. It will cool down in the evenings though, and otherwise it is quite comfortable in the 70’s during the summer months. We often will see our first snow fall in October, but the “real” accumulation doesn’t begin until December. Snow usually lasts until April or May.
If you’re worried about your student in winter driving, Michigan Tech can help with that! We offer winter driving classes that I would highly recommend.
You can also get a local look at our weather 24/7, by logging on to our local TV station’s website.
One last note . . . my July internship update!
And one last note, since this is the last week in July, I only have two weeks left (after this one) to my internship at Cummins! My July has been spent launching my customer satisfaction survey project, along with starting a web development project. I just found out I will be attending the Brickyard 400 race in the Cummins suite box, so that will leave for an exciting update for August! My last day is August 11, so there will be plenty to write about next month along with further preparing you for the start of your student’s college years.
Until next week,
Join ParentNET's discussion list!
That's all there is to it!
You can ask questions, discuss concerns about MTU, student life, Houghton, whatever!
It's a great way to stay in touch with Tech!
Past ParentNets | ParentNET-L Archive | A Student Abroad | MTU Home |
