Summer Orientation: Families
June 16–17
Parents and guardians, we want you to come to Orientation, too! Find out how you can help your student succeed at college. Meet other families as well as the faculty and staff at BJU who will be pouring their lives into your student. You will leave with valuable resources and information.
Attending Summer Orientation will help you and your student start the school year with confidence.
There is no charge for parents attending Summer Orientation.
When to Arrive
Check-In
Friday, 7:30–9 a.m.
(Student check in at the residence halls—Parents check in at the Welcome Center Lobby)
Plan to arrive by 8 a.m. to move your student into their residence hall room and collect their packet before the 9 a.m. session.
Orientation
Friday, 8 a.m. – Saturday, noon
Driving Directions
Hotels for Families
We’re pleased to be able to recommend the following locations for you to stay during your visit to Greenville. Be sure you ask for the special rate offered to guests of BJU. Please see our complete list of recommended Greenville area hotels.
Arriving in Greenville? We can pick you up
If you’re arriving by plane, bus or train, we can give you a ride to and from campus. Shuttle service is provided from:
- Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)
- Greenville bus station
- Greenville train station
To request a shuttle, contact the Welcome Center by 5 p.m. the Wednesday prior to your arrival.
Arriving outside the Greenville Area
Shuttle Service from Major Airports
Vendors at these airports provide shuttle service.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) — 3 hours from Greenville
- Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) — 2 hours from Greenville
Shuttle arrangements can be made by calling 800-669-6463. When scheduling flights, please keep in mind your travel time to and from BJU and the airport.
Personal Items
You may want to have items to take notes with (a device or pen/paper)
What to Wear
Business casual dress
Financial Aid Documents
If you need to provide any Financial Aid documents, bring those. Contact Financial Aid with any questions.
Looking for where to stay?
Check out some Greenville hotels.
Accommodations
Students are strongly encouraged to stay on campus where their housing and meals are included with the $100 orientation fee.
You can find a number of recommended hotels in the Greenville area. Many give special BJU rates.
Attending
Who should attend Orientation?
New freshman and transfer students and their parents or guardians are encouraged to attend one of the orientation sessions.
Orientation is a means for BJU to best meet the needs of your student this year.
Orientation provides opportunities for you and your student to see the campus, meet other new students and families, schedule classes, learn about the many opportunities available (society, work, extension, etc.), find out where to go for help, meet with a faculty member, and become familiar with student expectations.
We highly recommend you come! Parents and guardians always tell us how much they learned that they thought they already knew. We will have special sessions designed to introduce you to the BJU of today, as well as assist you in preparing for the challenges and changes that come when your student enters college.
Families often have many questions regarding what to expect, and sessions are designed to offer answers in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. While some sessions will be for everyone, other parent/guardian sessions will run concurrent to student-only sessions.
Should I bring my other children?
We invite your family to come to Summer Orientation. We offer a special event, Sibling Sneak Peek, for students entering the 6th–12th grades. It’s Friday from 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the cost is $25.
I had a family member attend BJU previously; do I need to come to Orientation?
Absolutely! Orientation is a personalized experience. Your student will get to figure out their course schedule, take care of financial aid and look for job opportunities. And you’ll get to connect with faculty and students, as well as other families of new students.
Plus, because BJU is always seeking to improve its programs and services, you never know what may have changed from when your family member attended! Orientation is the perfect chance to learn what to expect.
Definitely! BJU has its own mission, academic requirements, policies and student services. Orientation will help transfer students understand what BJU has to offer.
In addition to learning about BJU’s resources, transfer students will have an opportunity to review transcript evaluations, meet with a faculty member and register for classes.
Orientation lasts for two days, beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday and ending at noon on Saturday. In order not to miss any of the sessions or activities, please make travel plans according to these times. This will give them an extra night in the residence halls and allow them to spend more time connecting with our student leaders and other students attending Summer Orientation.