Second from the right, wearing the tie, is ParentNet staff member Dennis Walikainen. He's also a legitimate MTU parent. His son is a sophomore and his daughter graduated in 2004. Celebrating the Keweenaw and Week One!
Now that first-year Orientation is complete, regular classes for all students start on Tuesday! (There were no classes on Monday due to a Labor Day recess.) That means the start of fall semester 2006 is now underway! To view the 2006 calendar, please visit http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/events2/.
I look forward to bringing you important campus information and updates on student life as the semester progresses. So if you ever have any story ideas or have any questions that would make a great discussion, please do not hesitate to share your thoughts with me at nmroth@mtu.edu.
Orientation in review
Before I move on to our first story of the semester, let’s review what has happened on campus so far. Last Saturday, August 26, marked the start of first-year move-in in the residence halls. First-year Orientation then kicked off with the family picnic and University Welcome on Sunday, August 27, as many of you did the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do, saying good-bye to your student for the first time.
For Orientation on Monday, I got the opportunity to help Dennis and Gail from University Marketing and Communications at the University Expo. The University Expo gave new students and parents the chance to walk around and talk to different representatives from various departments and services on campus and in the community. Information about student events, banking, student organizations, and the like was available for students to pick up.
The rest of the week included placement tests, Orientation team meetings, Vegas game night, the Summer Reading speaker, the famous banana split, the greatly anticipated talent show, a dance under the stars outside of McNair Hall, workshops, advisor meetings, the tailgate party before our football game on Saturday, and the “F-All Nighter.” The F-All Nighter showcased different student organizations as they hosted different events and games for first-year students to participate in into the wee hours of the morning on Sunday.
Tips for success
Since the semester officially starts this week, I have four pieces of advice that I have learned over the years for your student to adjust to their new college schedules:
- Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night! It will help to keep your student’s body healthy and it will keep them energized during longer classes. A regular sleep schedule makes a world of difference.
- Suggest to your student that they walk through campus and find where their classes are before they start. It will help them feel more prepared and less stressed on the first few days of classes.
- Keep up with assigned reading from the start. Even if it’s just introductory material, your student should read textbooks from the beginning because it will help them to keep up as the semester progresses. Reading might consume a lot of time, but professors assign it for a reason!
- Eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water is also a must. It helps to keep your student healthy and maintain energy. If you’d like to view the residence hall meal schedule, please visit: http://www.housing.mtu.edu/dining_semester_menu.htm.
As long as your student attends their classes, does their homework, asks questions, and seeks help when needed, they will do just fine.
K-Day this Friday!
And to help celebrate your student’s first week of success, students on campus will be dismissed from classes at Noon on Friday for our annual celebration of K-Day! K-Day stands for “Keweenaw” Day, and has been a proud tradition at Michigan Tech for many years. K-Day is held out at McLain State Park along Lake Superior. All students get to enjoy free picnic food, live music, inflatable games, and 100 student organization booths! If your student wants to learn how to get involved on campus, K-Day is the perfect way to do just that!
- Until next week,
