All schools have their “new student” orientation days or weeks before school starts, but Purdue University arguably has the best one out there. The week-long party orientation starts the Tuesday before classes begin and gives new students the chance to make new friends, adjust to campus life, and get familiar with the Purdue community. And that’s not the only reason Purdue has the best freshman orientation in the nation. Here’s why BGR is the GOAT.

1. The Name

We could call it Orientation Week or something boring like that, but no. We call this new student orientation week “Boiler Gold Rush” (or BGR for short). Because who wouldn’t be pumped to tell their friends their going to BGR? It sounds like some epic music festival. Fun Fact: BGR used to be called “Corn Camp” because that’s the kind of humans we are in Indiana.

2. The Student Involvement

In reality, this week isn’t just for the new students that come to campus. This week actually involves over 500 student volunteers that serve as team leaders and supervisors, ensuring the week goes smoothly. Students leading other students is powerful and this week ensures that a huge portion of the student body is pumped for the new school year.

3. The International Component

BGR actually has a second (lesser-known component) that begins the week before BGR. BGRi (or BGR international) is a special component of BGR that welcomes international students to campus a week before the other students and lets them become acclimated to West Lafayette and Purdue before joining the domestic students. This is a really cool way for international students to feel like pros at campus life before everyone else!

4. The Beacons & Dances

It’s a no-brainer that freshmen and new students need some basic info in order to be set up for success when transitioning to college. However, BGR combines this information overload with a bunch of silly dancing and creative beacons to disguise the boring “Succeeding as a Student” talks.

5. The Instant 20 New Friends

What’s better than starting college and making an instant 20 friends the first week? Whether or not students click with their group, they’re at least familiar with people on campus and have experience making friends as they start college life.

6. The Mentor

The other side of BGR is the fact that new students get access to a peer mentor (or TL) right when they start college, so if they do have questions, they can comfortably ask a peer for advice.

7. The Free Stuff

I’m sure this is BGR students favorite part of the whole deal—BGR week is absolutely jammed pack full of free handouts, whether that be food, cheap sunglasses, or a stack full of club flyers.

8. The Resources

Along with the free stuff, students get the low-down on where they should go if they’re struggling physically, mentally, educationally, or even spiritually. BGR does a great job of showcasing just about everything that Purdue’s Campus has to offer!

9. The Community Promotion

BGR actually ends up being a cool two-way street, where students not only learn about Purdue, but they also get to learn about the Greater Lafayette community, with scheduled trips to Target & Meijer where the local businesses get some promotion for themselves!

10. The Attitude

BGR encourages new students to get involved and try new things! There is an attitude of “you can be who you want to be now” and students are encouraged to get out of their comfort zones!

11. The excuse to be a child

Yes, this is probably everyone’s favorite part. For the last final week before real life college classes hit, new students and team leaders alike are encouraged to let loose, dance with new friends, and play silly get-to-know-you games.

12. The Campus Confidence

BGR does a great job of sealing the deal and convincing students they are right where they belong. It goes through all the old, Purdue traditions and teaches students the “secrets” of campus life to make everyone feel like they’ve just entered a secret club they can be proud to be a part of.

What’s college without dancing, random friends, and feeling over-tired all the time? Welcome to college, Freshie Boilermakers. Cheers to the next four years!