In July, my daughter and I spent a few days in Portland, OR for freshman orientation. She will start in a few short weeks at Portland State University.

We drove all day from our home in the Bay Area and arrived in Portland late afternoon, staying at the University Place Hotel, which is run by the hospitality program at the college. We had every intention of watching the Fourth of July fireworks over the Willamette River, but after walking down to the waterfront in the muggy Portland heat, we got ice cream, did some people watching, and called it a night.

I wanted some kind of a summer vacation, so scheduled our trip with an extra day to do something fun. My brother and niece met us in Astoria, roughly a two-hour drive for both of us. It was a great day, and nice to visit and relax! We did the fun film type things, checked out the Goonies house, the jail, and the elementary school from Kindergarten Cop!

ORIENTATION DAY 1

The next day was freshman orientation day! The college arranged for students to meet us in the lobby of the hotel to walk over to the campus for orientation. My daughter is a somewhat shy at first and has anxiety about new situations and new people. We both hoped there would be time to settle in before we were separated. Well, no luck! The minute we walked in, kids were sent one way and families and guests the other way. I eventually found her, and watched her as she watched others.

After a short joint session, the future freshman went off in groups and had their own informational sessions, while the parents learned about financial aid and the fun stuff! She was taking it all in! After lunch, I toured the rec center and dorm, while she registered for her first classes! Being a smaller school, she is taking a film class right away, and her foriegn language of choice is Chinese.

ORIENTATION DAY 2

The second day of freshman orientation was for the Summer Scholars program. It is a three week program to help students adjust to college life. My daughter was on the cusp of barely getting a 3.0 cumulative gpa in high school, so was initially required to attend this program. Even though she graduated with a 3.0 (barely!), we decided this would be a good program for her. We attended that orientation and learned about the classes and the mentoring program that will be available to her. I was very excited for what she would be provided!

After orientation, we did some touristy type things and found some thrift stores. As I watched my daughter, I felt like she was right where she belonged! She loved it! I started having this funny feeling that she just might not come home for the summers. We’ll see!

I was very impressed with how Portland State organized their freshman orientation. Since our first tour there last November, they have impressed me with how personable they are with the students. It is a very friendly and welcoming community.