Freshman Orientation at Indiana University

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Freshman Orientation!

We went to Bloomington, Indiana for Freshman Orientation at Indiana University.  We drove there Tuesday evening and checked into a hotel.  We went to downtown Bloomington near the Campus to have dinner.  

We had gotten recommendations on where to have dinner.  We chose the Irish Lion for our first dinner.   We ordered one of their specialties for an appetizer, Blarney Puffballs.  It is a mixture of potatoes, cheddar cheese and garlic.  Of course, then it is breaded and deep-fried.  I had to try one of them.  My dinner was a large vegetable salad with grilled chicken.

We walked around campus a little, then headed back to the hotel in preparation for a long day on Wednesday.

Wednesday morning we got up early and ate some breakfast at the hotel.  I ate scrambled eggs and bacon.  

We headed off to campus.  We had to be there by 9 am for registration.  As soon as they got us there they split up the students and the parents.  I think that was so the students could get to see the campus and start to do things without their parents.

We went to meetings all morning, as did the students.  The college representatives did lots of presentations.  They gave us an overview of all their programs and had a question and answer series.  We had lunch in the food court in the student union.  It has the reputation of being the largest student union in the world.  I'm not sure where they feed the students.

In the afternoon it was back to another huge lecture hall.  More information and Q and A sessions.  At 2:30 they reconnected the students with the parents.  We then got a lecture from one of the professors.  He was a very cynical, amusing man.  He talked about what a typical lecture in his class would be like.  If you asked a question, you were taking your own chances.  You just didn't know what his response might be!   I think a few people wished they had kept their mouths shut.  

We got to stay with the kids for dinner in a resident hall.  I went through the line for the healthy choice meal.  I got chicken breast, turnip greens and a tomato, cucumber, onion salad.  

After dinner, it was time to split up again.  My husband and I took an evening bus tour of the campus and then went to the Lilly Library for a tour.  It houses about 20,000 antique books, including the Gutenberg Bible.  It was printed in the 1450's.  There are still 48 copies (or partial copies) still in existence.  They are considered the most valuable books in the world.

We got together with our son and headed back to the hotel at about 8:30.  What a long tiring day!!

On Thursday, we had breakfast at the hotel again.  We headed back to campus around 9 am.  We dropped our son off for his appointment with his adviser   He was also getting his student identification and then registering for classes.

My hubby and I walked around campus.  That campus is very hilly, so the walking was a good workout.  We went to the bookstore and did some shopping.  We went to a couple of 20 minute sessions again and then met back up with our son.  Of course, then he wanted to make a stop at the bookstore.  We left a good amount of money with the bookstore while we were there.

We left campus and went to lunch.  We went to another well-known restaurant in Bloomington, Yogi's.  Yogi's is a bar and grill type place, but it is an iconic spot in town.  I had Cajun chicken on top of a vegetable salad.  It was delicious.  Probably way too much salt though.  

After lunch, we went to the residence hall that my son has been assigned to for a tour.  We got to tour a room and see exactly what he would be sharing with another student in a few weeks.  We also got to see the bathroom.  Probably the cleanest it will be all year. The bathroom is used by around 25 guys once school starts. Wouldn't you love to clean that!! 

It was around 2 p.m. and time for a hour and a half drive home.  
We were all exhausted, but we had a good time together.  My son was really excited about the campus and his new schedule.  My husband was moping a little thinking about losing his little boy.

Legend has it that if you shake hands with the statue of Herman Wells you will make good grades.  I stopped and shook his hand, don't know if it will help, but it can't hurt to try.  I told my son to stop by and shake hands frequently when he gets back to school.