We spent the past two nights in the dormitories of Northern Michigan University. Our daughter Ocean will be starting in the nursing program next month. We were delighted when NMU scheduled an Orientation for families in July, which allowed us to participate! Our eldest son graduated from NMU last May and we are happy that Ocean will also become a Wildcat. NMU gives us in-state tuition and is one of two major universities in the Upper Peninsula. We have a home in Marquette and would eventually like to retire there, so it is good that our kids will love Marquette as well.
The orientation was well organized with sessions for both parents and students. I attended several sessions which touched upon finances, supporting your first-year student, and we even heard some opening remarks from the President. We slept as a family in Maple East, one of the new dorms in the Woods Complex, and ate at Northern Lights Dining Complex. We became familiar with the campus by walking to many of the events.
Ocean was a bit shy in meeting people, but she eventually got into the spirit. I hope she takes advantage of everything NMU has to offer. Young people today often tend to stay in their rooms watching screens instead of getting out and meeting people and having experiences. The university has invested a lot in infrastructure since my brothers attended the university in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They also improved their marketing by emphasizing the outdoors and the beauty of Marquette and the UP. Since the UP is sparsely populated, the university targets Chicago, Milwaukee, and downstate Michigan, where there are more potential students.
Nadia and I spent as much time as possible with Ocean during the three days. We also met with housing and admissions staff, as we are considering transferring Oliver to NMU to be with his sister. I would like to thank the NMU staff for an informative and engaging welcome.
Bill's Blog 