You arrive at Bowdoin in August.
Your journey to college begins now.
The transition to college isn't just about packing a suitcase. In most cases, you will be moving to a new place, preparing to live with someone you haven't met, changing healthcare providers, designing an academic schedule from scratch, and building a network of people who can provide help and support.
There will be a lot of information headed your way, and crucial tasks that you must complete before you are allowed to move in.
📋 Download and print your own fridge-ready summer checklist (PDF)
Okay, what is this website? How should I use it?
Right. Great question!
We have a lot to talk about, and it falls into two categories:
- information that can be accessed by the public—including your family.
Let's take the example of a packing list describing what to bring (and what not to bring) to college.
That's helpful for you and your family to be able to access at any time, and it doesn't contain any private information that needs to be sent securely.
- information that requires a bowdoin.edu login.
On the other hand, there are surveys and tasks related to housing, academic advising, special accommodations, and lots more.
We need those to be securely associated with your Bowdoin account, so you'll find them by logging in to Canvas.
This feels overly complicated?
Maybe! But in previous years, we've tried to keep everything in Canvas, and we fielded a LOT more calls from parents and families who are unable to access that system.
I'm worried that I'm going to miss something.
Naturally! But for our most important tasks, we will:
- keep updates in multiple places,
- send you timely links and reminders via email,
- and throw it on the 'gram.
If something mission-critical falls through the cracks, you'll probably get a friendly call from one of our amazing—and amazingly organized—Orientation Coordinators.