Getting to college usually means cramming your car full of stuff, competing with other drivers on the highways, waiting for hours to get in your residence hall, and standing in the slowest line in the universe to buy a plethora of over-priced books that you can’t imagine ever opening.

Well, not if you’re going to Northland College. This is not a conventional school, and Orientation is not a conventional program. The Outdoor Orientation program is an exciting opportunity for new students to experience the dense forests, fish-filled rivers, and the aurora borealis of the north country. The trip leaders, who are upper-class Northland students, take new students to one of the area’s many beautiful locations for a unique outdoor experience. New Northlanders are able to connect with one another around campfires or paddling together down rivers. Many of the trips allow students to learn the value and techniques for minimizing human impact on their immediate environment.

Trips vary in length from 12-day excursions into wilderness locales, 3-day trips based out of an environmental education center, to our most popular 5-day trips to a variety of north-country settings. Past trips have included kayaking among the Apostle Islands, hiking the Rainbow Lake Wilderness, paddling the Brule River, backpacking the Porcupine Mountains, canoe camping in the Boundary Waters, and exploring the North Shore of Minnesota by bike or car. As you can see, there are a wide variety of options from which to choose. Previous outdoor experience is not necessary since Northland’s Outdoor Orientation program is designed for all levels of outdoor skills.

Beyond the trips, Orientation offers a variety of activities to get students acquainted with the Northland community. By the time classes start you’ll have had assistance moving into your residence hall, met your academic advisor, had fun on your trip, taken care of business and best of all, you’ll feel great about your new life at Northland.