Lincoln for Out-of-State Students

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05/01/2024 Added

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Learn about resources, organizations and logistics (like packing or bringing a car) that will help your student in their transition to Lincoln. Hear from an out-of-state orientation leader about how they made Nebraska home.

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[00:00:00.450]Hello, everyone.
[00:00:01.283]My name is Emily Klesner Platt, and I'm assistant director
[00:00:03.720]in the Office of New Student Enrollment.
[00:00:05.910]I'm really excited to talk to you about life in Lincoln
[00:00:08.010]for out-of-state students Here at UNL.
[00:00:11.160]I'm going to be going over some tips and tricks
[00:00:13.800]for navigating the new environment,
[00:00:15.750]coming here from out of state,
[00:00:17.550]some common logistics that our out-of-state students
[00:00:19.710]often face, and then how you can find community
[00:00:22.290]once you do start school here in August.
[00:00:26.190]A few tips we have for navigating Lincoln.
[00:00:28.200]The first one is really just trying to get to know
[00:00:30.780]Lincoln directionally, especially getting familiar
[00:00:33.360]with streets and landmarks, kind of using some online maps
[00:00:36.780]and getting a feel for where things are.
[00:00:39.060]We also have a really great website.
[00:00:40.560]It's called aboutlincoln.unl.edu,
[00:00:43.290]and it has tons of great options for finding
[00:00:46.200]cool restaurants and parks and all kinds of things
[00:00:48.870]all across Lincoln that our students really love.
[00:00:52.290]We also encourage you to think about practical matters
[00:00:55.050]before you move out here to Lincoln.
[00:00:57.480]Banking is a big one for many of our out-of-state students.
[00:01:00.120]Sometimes, if you have a smaller local bank back home,
[00:01:02.970]it's a little harder to access money and things
[00:01:05.700]when you're farther away.
[00:01:07.050]We have a really great bank on campus,
[00:01:08.700]called Union Bank and Trust, or UBT for short,
[00:01:11.670]and they are wonderful with our students.
[00:01:13.680]They have special accounts just for students.
[00:01:15.580]A lot of times they have really great offers,
[00:01:18.030]and one of the best things they have is that they can print
[00:01:20.280]a new debit card right on campus,
[00:01:22.230]right in our branch in the union.
[00:01:24.060]It takes only about two or three minutes,
[00:01:25.650]so it's super easy if you ever would lose your card,
[00:01:28.380]a lot easier than if you have to go and get your parents
[00:01:31.740]to mail it back to you.
[00:01:33.120]When your bank sends a new one to your permanent address
[00:01:35.610]back home, it can be a little bit harder.
[00:01:37.770]And we also encourage you to make sure
[00:01:39.540]you have health insurance.
[00:01:40.590]Make sure that you have your own cards,
[00:01:43.470]you bring those along.
[00:01:44.400]If you need some health insurance,
[00:01:45.810]we do offer some through our University Health Center.
[00:01:48.660]Make sure you have all the information
[00:01:50.370]you need on that before you get here.
[00:01:52.380]We also encourage many of our students to bring
[00:01:54.180]their Social Security card to campus.
[00:01:55.770]I know that can sound big and scary to bring along,
[00:01:58.710]but if you want an on-campus job,
[00:02:00.270]you are required to have that physical copy in person,
[00:02:03.000]and so we encourage you to bring that along right away,
[00:02:05.700]find a safe place for it,
[00:02:06.870]that way you have it if you do want an on-campus job
[00:02:09.090]or internship or research or anything like that.
[00:02:12.000]Lastly, we do encourage you to think through voting.
[00:02:14.670]As it is an election year,
[00:02:15.900]you may not be able to make it back home
[00:02:17.640]when it's time to vote, and so just thinking through
[00:02:19.560]what that might look like for you.
[00:02:22.920]When it comes to Welcome Week,
[00:02:24.180]we have so many great options.
[00:02:25.920]We call Welcome Week "Big Red Welcome" here at UNL,
[00:02:28.800]and there's a lot of great time to meet new people,
[00:02:31.440]but really to get familiar with campus and the Lincoln area.
[00:02:34.830]There's so many events happening,
[00:02:36.480]constant tours around campus and in the downtown area
[00:02:40.080]can really help you familiarize yourself.
[00:02:42.270]And then all throughout the year,
[00:02:43.590]we have events happening literally every weekend,
[00:02:46.080]almost every day.
[00:02:46.913]It feels like there's something going on either on campus
[00:02:49.680]or around town, where you can get to know Lincoln more
[00:02:52.920]and just discover what all there is to offer here.
[00:02:56.880]Some of the common logistics
[00:02:57.990]that our out-of-state students often face,
[00:03:00.570]one of the biggest ones is do you need to bring a car?
[00:03:02.880]That can be a really hard one to answer for some people,
[00:03:05.460]they're just not sure if they should drive it from far away.
[00:03:08.280]I will say that I have had many, many students,
[00:03:10.770]especially our orientation leaders,
[00:03:11.850]they just tell me that they didn't have a car
[00:03:13.980]their first year, and they were truly okay.
[00:03:16.530]They were always able to get rides from friends.
[00:03:18.330]They were able to use the city bus,
[00:03:19.950]which students get a free bus pass to be able to use
[00:03:22.920]to go all over the city,
[00:03:24.210]and they never felt like they were trapped on campus
[00:03:26.640]or didn't have a way to get what they need.
[00:03:29.100]But that being said, if you do want to bring a car to campus
[00:03:31.860]and that's totally fine,
[00:03:32.760]we don't have any restrictions on that.
[00:03:34.800]You will need to get a parking pass.
[00:03:36.480]The residence halls all have lots
[00:03:38.160]that are kind of automatically chosen
[00:03:39.810]based on what residence hall you're in,
[00:03:41.700]but if you are living off campus for any reason,
[00:03:44.040]you can buy one of our general campus lot passes, as well.
[00:03:47.370]And then I will make a note
[00:03:48.570]that there are many, many parking meters all around campus
[00:03:51.210]that our students and parents and guests do use
[00:03:53.940]when they come here to visit.
[00:03:55.481]They do ticket those very quickly and very easily,
[00:03:58.560]so do make sure that if you're choosing to use those,
[00:04:00.690]you're paying attention and paying that meter
[00:04:02.940]so you don't end up with a parking ticket.
[00:04:05.850]Some other transportation options here,
[00:04:07.470]we are a very bike-friendly city and campus.
[00:04:09.660]There are bike racks by almost every building on campus,
[00:04:12.510]lots of ways to rent bikes
[00:04:13.830]and store bikes on campus, as well,
[00:04:15.600]so that can be a great option to get around the city quick.
[00:04:19.260]As I mentioned before, students do get a free bus pass
[00:04:21.870]through student fees to use the city bus.
[00:04:24.480]That city bus not only goes between our three campuses,
[00:04:27.840]but all over the city next to really, really great options,
[00:04:31.380]like Walmart and the shopping mall and everything like that.
[00:04:34.470]So, you can get anywhere that you need to go on there,
[00:04:36.510]and then we do have Uber and Lyft very privately
[00:04:38.430]all throughout the city.
[00:04:40.680]When it comes to airports, many of our students do choose
[00:04:43.500]to fly from Omaha, which is about an hour away.
[00:04:46.260]That is the larger international airport
[00:04:48.090]that's closest to campus,
[00:04:49.290]but I will make a note that we do have an airport
[00:04:51.060]right here in Lincoln, as well.
[00:04:52.800]I mean, it is a smaller regional airport,
[00:04:54.600]but it does save you a lot of effort getting to campus.
[00:04:57.660]It's only 15 minutes away, so it's real easy and close.
[00:05:00.750]Many of our students choose to use it
[00:05:02.160]because it is a lot more convenient.
[00:05:03.600]Currently, they fly out of Chicago and Denver,
[00:05:06.360]so if you live near one of those cities or can get
[00:05:08.490]an easy connecting fight to one of those cities,
[00:05:10.650]that can be a great way to get right to Lincoln
[00:05:12.540]and get close to campus.
[00:05:14.460]If you are choosing to go through Omaha,
[00:05:16.170]a few options for rides to get back and forth
[00:05:18.900]from the airport to campus,
[00:05:20.820]Omaha Link is probably our most recommended one.
[00:05:22.890]They are a third-party company,
[00:05:24.270]but we have worked with them many, many times.
[00:05:26.730]Many of our international students use them
[00:05:28.560]when they come into Nebraska for the first time,
[00:05:31.680]but they're a shuttle service.
[00:05:32.760]They'll pick you up right at baggage claim,
[00:05:34.560]right at the gate there,
[00:05:35.820]and bring you all the way to campus, to your residence hall,
[00:05:38.400]your off-campus residence.
[00:05:40.080]It's about $85 a trip, so I know that's a little pricier,
[00:05:43.170]but they are very safe and reliable,
[00:05:44.880]and you know that you'll have somebody there to pick you up
[00:05:46.710]and bring you here safely.
[00:05:48.930]We do have a Greyhound bus option that comes into Lincoln.
[00:05:51.570]We have a station that's about 15 minutes, as well,
[00:05:54.420]away from campus, so that can be an option
[00:05:56.310]if you live on one of those routes.
[00:05:59.100]The Amtrak train does come straight through Lincoln.
[00:06:01.800]It's the Denver to Chicago route, so if you live in a city
[00:06:04.947]that that comes through, you can come into Lincoln on that.
[00:06:08.790]And then lastly here, there's some really great
[00:06:10.710]ride-share options, as well.
[00:06:12.690]Many students have told me that all they had to do
[00:06:14.790]was just walk around on their residence hall floor
[00:06:17.190]and ask some friends, especially ones who live in Omaha,
[00:06:20.520]near the airport, if they could just drop them off
[00:06:22.530]and then bring them back to campus
[00:06:23.790]during over, like, holiday breaks and things,
[00:06:26.100]and many told me that it was almost impossible to not find
[00:06:29.310]a ride when asking to do this.
[00:06:31.380]Many students live really near the airport.
[00:06:33.360]The Omaha airport is really easily accessible in town,
[00:06:36.420]and so many students feel it's very easy to grab a friend
[00:06:39.750]and drop them off and pick it back up
[00:06:41.640]when it comes to going home, especially for the holidays.
[00:06:43.800]So, we definitely encourage students to ask around,
[00:06:46.860]ask their friends.
[00:06:47.940]Most of the time it's really easy for you to find someone.
[00:06:50.910]There's also a couple Facebook groups you see here,
[00:06:53.640]where you can go on and ask if anybody's headed up that way,
[00:06:56.340]if you aren't able to find anybody else,
[00:06:58.170]and they might be able to give you a ride, as well.
[00:07:02.010]A couple things to help find community here at UNL.
[00:07:04.860]One of the biggest ones
[00:07:05.850]that you're probably going to hear a lot
[00:07:07.770]as you're starting to come to UNL is just getting involved.
[00:07:11.040]We have over 500 student organizations on campus,
[00:07:13.650]so there really is something for everyone, lots of options.
[00:07:17.010]There's going to be some group that you can fit into,
[00:07:19.140]fits your interests and things that you like
[00:07:21.090]and what you want to do,
[00:07:22.530]and you'll be able to find
[00:07:23.363]some quick and easy friends there.
[00:07:25.470]If you're living in the residence halls,
[00:07:27.270]a great way to get connected is with your RA,
[00:07:29.880]who's a resident assistant.
[00:07:31.560]They're an upper-class student who will live
[00:07:33.540]on the same floor as as the other students
[00:07:36.270]and thorough floor events and do lots of fun things
[00:07:39.060]and just help build community with the people
[00:07:40.710]who live on that floor,
[00:07:41.670]and so they can be a really great resource
[00:07:43.680]and also a great way to build community.
[00:07:46.320]We encourage all students to connect
[00:07:48.390]with upper-class students,
[00:07:49.560]especially those who are in their right major
[00:07:52.170]or program or college,
[00:07:53.760]students who have already done the internships
[00:07:55.860]and had the classes and taken the different professors
[00:07:58.530]and can really help your students see
[00:08:00.240]kind of what it's going to look like for the next few years.
[00:08:03.270]And then lastly, like I already mentioned,
[00:08:04.920]there's events happening all the time on campus
[00:08:07.140]and around the city,
[00:08:08.067]and that can be a great way to find community
[00:08:10.230]and get involved in a lot of different ways.
[00:08:13.860]As I mentioned earlier,
[00:08:14.693]Big Red Welcome is our welcoming activities
[00:08:16.680]that happen the week before classes start,
[00:08:18.840]and this is a great time for you
[00:08:20.700]to build a lot of connection.
[00:08:22.140]We also have some special programming
[00:08:24.240]just for out-of-state students,
[00:08:25.950]so this event will happen on the Sunday
[00:08:28.470]right before classes start, on the 25th.
[00:08:30.900]So, that will be a great time for you to come,
[00:08:33.090]meet other out-of-state students.
[00:08:34.590]We'll do some activities.
[00:08:35.640]We have some tours of the downtown area,
[00:08:37.950]so you can get to see some local favorite spots
[00:08:40.500]that some of our students really love,
[00:08:42.150]and then get to meet a lot of other out-of-state students.
[00:08:45.090]All that information will be on the Nebraska app
[00:08:47.250]as we get a little bit closer to August,
[00:08:48.840]so you can check that out and see on the full schedule.
[00:08:52.890]As we kind of wrap up here, a few tips for family members
[00:08:55.440]who are supporting their out-of-state student coming to UNL.
[00:08:58.590]One of the biggest things is really just making that plan,
[00:09:00.810]thinking about money and healthcare and communication
[00:09:03.240]before a situation arises.
[00:09:05.580]Something that my students have told me was really helpful
[00:09:07.980]was making a plan for when you're all going
[00:09:10.350]to see each other again for the first time
[00:09:12.030]after you drop them off at college,
[00:09:14.010]and a really great time to do that is family weekend.
[00:09:17.070]For 2024, that's going to be
[00:09:18.570]September 27th through the 29th.
[00:09:21.120]It's an away game, so there's not as much
[00:09:23.490]happening around Lincoln, so it's a great time
[00:09:26.230]to easily come into the city and get to explore
[00:09:29.400]and see everything that's going on.
[00:09:31.020]The university always has a lot of great opportunities
[00:09:33.660]and activities happening all across campus
[00:09:36.090]for the whole family, so it can be a great time to come
[00:09:38.610]and see your student and kind of see what it's like
[00:09:41.190]for them to be here as a student at UNL.
[00:09:44.250]We also encourage you to send your love and support
[00:09:47.700]in whatever that way that makes sense for you.
[00:09:50.100]We do have some pre-made care packages
[00:09:52.050]that you can order off the University Housing's website,
[00:09:54.930]and they have lots of different, like, cakes and cookies
[00:09:57.870]and little gift bags and all kinds of things
[00:09:59.790]that you can send your student or sending your own,
[00:10:02.460]sending them letters, text messages,
[00:10:04.080]whatever is going to make your student
[00:10:05.520]feel the most supported,
[00:10:06.990]we encourage you to send that along.
[00:10:09.990]Third here, we encourage you to refer your student
[00:10:12.450]out to the resources.
[00:10:13.950]We know that you are their most important resource,
[00:10:16.830]and you're going to help them with everything you can.
[00:10:19.110]Some things just can't be helped
[00:10:20.550]from really far away, though,
[00:10:21.720]and so we encourage you that if your student is struggling,
[00:10:24.270]if they are having some issues,
[00:10:25.440]to help refer them to places on campus,
[00:10:27.720]refer them, you know, to their advisor,
[00:10:29.280]someone who can help them find the resource
[00:10:31.200]if they're not sure where to go,
[00:10:32.820]but we have resources for nearly everything
[00:10:35.070]your student will need, so we have somebody here
[00:10:36.810]that can help them.
[00:10:38.670]And then lastly, we encourage you
[00:10:40.320]as parents and family members to connect
[00:10:42.480]with our UNL Parents Association.
[00:10:44.070]There's a lot of great events happening.
[00:10:45.660]Great way to connect with other parents
[00:10:47.340]and families who have students at UNL,
[00:10:49.860]and then there's also a lot of Facebook groups
[00:10:52.020]from various states that parents have created to connect.
[00:10:54.690]So, if you just type in your state with UNL Parent Group,
[00:10:58.590]you usually can find something and connect
[00:11:00.360]with some other parents there.
[00:11:03.131]A handful of tips here for students
[00:11:04.530]as they're getting ready to embark on this adventure
[00:11:07.110]and come to Lincoln for the first time.
[00:11:10.500]It's really hard not to do, but try not to over-pack.
[00:11:13.650]That can be really difficult.
[00:11:14.790]I know you really want to bring everything possible,
[00:11:16.980]but I promise, an entire childhood bedroom
[00:11:19.650]will not fit inside of your residence hall room.
[00:11:22.020]It just won't make it,
[00:11:23.160]and so really try to narrow down what you think you'll need.
[00:11:26.460]If you do forget things or you can't bring
[00:11:28.260]everything with you, especially if you're flying,
[00:11:30.420]we have a lot of different shopping available
[00:11:32.430]here in Lincoln, lots of different stores, you know,
[00:11:34.950]Target, Walmart, furniture stores,
[00:11:36.870]all kinds of different things that you might need,
[00:11:39.206]so you'll be able to get anything extra
[00:11:40.320]that you weren't able to bring along.
[00:11:42.390]You are also able to ship boxes in advance
[00:11:44.850]directly to your residence hall.
[00:11:46.860]We encourage you not to send them more than one week
[00:11:49.080]before your move-in date, just so they don't get lost
[00:11:52.050]and make it to the right person really easily,
[00:11:54.570]and on the University Housing website,
[00:11:57.000]you can find a list of all of the addresses
[00:11:59.580]for all the residence halls to make sure that you ship it
[00:12:01.620]to the correct place.
[00:12:03.840]Again, attending Big Red Welcome,
[00:12:05.580]we have our out-of-state student welcome,
[00:12:07.710]but then we also have our Club Fair and Street Festival,
[00:12:10.050]where all of our student organizations and campus partners
[00:12:12.930]and community partners will all come,
[00:12:14.970]so you can talk to them and see where you can get involved,
[00:12:17.460]and that's all going to be on the Nebraska app
[00:12:19.560]a little closer to August.
[00:12:22.260]Getting involved once school does start, finding that club,
[00:12:25.080]meeting people on your floor,
[00:12:26.760]finding a community that you need
[00:12:28.350]to help you feel supported here on campus,
[00:12:30.990]and then lastly, just exploring Lincoln
[00:12:32.970]and all that we have to offer here.
[00:12:35.130]There's so much happening off campus,
[00:12:36.990]so many places to explore,
[00:12:38.610]and we encourage you to take a moment to really see
[00:12:41.130]what all there is here.
[00:12:43.680]Again, if you do have any questions,
[00:12:45.540]I really encourage you to contact me.
[00:12:47.430]Again, my name is Emily Klesner Platt
[00:12:48.990]with the Office of New Student Enrollment.
[00:12:51.330]I'd love to hear from you,
[00:12:52.770]really hope that your student has a great time
[00:12:55.860]coming to UNL from out-of-state,
[00:12:57.450]and wish you the best of luck.

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Lincoln for Out-of-State Students

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