First Year Abroad Programs

A: Please navigate to the overview tab on your program’s website found on the First Year Abroad webpage. You will see the dates for your specific pre-departure orientation listed there and in your myEdAbroad portal on the program’s pre-departure checklist. Check-in for the on-campus Pre-Departure orientation will start at 1:00pm MST on the first day. Students will be emailed the address for check-in..  Please see below for a tentative schedule. The start and end time of the orientation will not change. Session type and times may change:  

• Day One Pre-Departure On-Campus Orientation Schedule for all programs

A: The on-campus orientation is mandatory for students.  There is no programming for parents or families during the on campus orientation days.

We encourage families, guests, and loved ones to meet their student at CSU when the international dates of the program are over. Students will arrive back to CSU in time for RamWelcome week and official Fall move-in at CSU. You can find the date your program returns to CSU on the over tab of the program website found on the First Year Abroad webpage.

In addition, we are hosting a Welcome Back event on August 14 from 6-7:30pm MST for all students & guests. Please see question, “What is the Ram Welcome Back Story Telling & Dessert Hour?” for more information.

All families and loved ones are welcome to attend the virtual Health & Safety Orientation over the summer.

A: Students will stay in CSU residence halls during the pre-departure orientation dates. The students will stay in Academic Village in double-occupied rooms. The rooms are air conditioned and there is Wi-Fi. Bed and bathroom linens will be included.  

Families, Parents, or Guests: If you decide to travel to campus to drop your student off for the pre-departure orientation and are looking into accommodations in Fort Collins there are many different hotel options in the area. We recommend when you call to book your room, to ask if the hotel supports CSU students, parents, and family members with a discount. Candlewood Suites (970-223-0200) and Fairfield by Marriot (970-226-6656) are very supportive of parents/families, so we recommend trying them first.  

A: We encourage all students to travel to campus only with what they will need for the pre-departure orientation days and their international travel dates. All students will review packing during their virtual health & safety orientation in the summer before arriving to campus.   For the on-campus orientation at CSU, some of our sessions may take place outside if the weather is nice. We encourage students to bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a hat. Please also bring a reusable water bottle, pen, paper, and a laptop. Students do not need to bring bedding or towels for their Pre-Departure orientation days. They will be provided in the residence halls.

A: All meals will be provided during the orientation for students. Students will eat on campus at CSU Ram’s Horn dining center during their stay. Students will receive a meal card when we check into the residence halls. Cards will be pre-loaded with meals. Students will list all dietary restrictions on the Accessibility and Accommodation Information form in their MyEdAbroad portal. View CSU Dining Center Menus.

If you are a student with food allergies or intolerances, the dining halls strive to have a wide variety of options with clear dietary labeling and in addition to making reasonable accommodations for individuals. View CSU’s food labeling system.

A: All students will receive one included parking pass for the dates of the orientation. Please park in lot #230, near Academic Village Engineering. View campus parking map. The orientation sessions will take place in the Canvas Stadium. As we get closer to arrival, we will collect the license plate of the vehicle you will be driving and need to park on campus. You will not need a parking pass for your orientation dates once we’ve collected the license plate of the vehicle.  

A: If you need to temporarily store your vehicle on campus, the best option is to consider purchasing an R permit, which allows overnight parking in lot 740 on South Campus by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The permit will come out to be $37.00 for the month. Purchase a parking pass. If any questions arise, you can call (970)-491-7041 or email parking at [email protected]. 

A: Yes! All students are required to register for a check-in date for their fall housing. Students can register for a move-in arrival time slot via the CSU Housing Portal (opens in July). Please see more information on CSU Move In Information. We encourage students to register for check-in on the date you arrive back to campus from the international portion of your program.

Education Abroad and housing collaborate closely and understand that travel arrival times may change due to the international travel and nature of our First Year & Bridge Seminar Abroad programs. Housing has confirmed it is completely fine if students end up checking-in a day later than they registered for. For example, if a student registers for a move-in arrival slot on August 13 but doesn’t end up checking-in until the 14^th, this is fine! Residence halls are staffed throughout the night.

We provide transportation for all students from Denver International Airport to Colorado State University after the international portion of the program.  Students are not required to take the provided transportation from DIA back to CSU. Loved ones are welcomed to pick up their student from the airport when they return. Students will note their plans in the, “First Year & Bridge Seminar Abroad General Info Form in their myEdAbroad portal. 

A: All students will have the option to store fall bedding for free with Education Abroad while traveling internationally.  The Education Abroad Office is located at Laurel Hall, and this is where bedding can be stored. Students will be dropped off at Laurel Hall after returning from the airport.

Education Abroad staff will greet students upon arrival back to CSU and support students in navigating to their Fall Housing for check-in that evening.

If you choose to store sheets in Laurel Hall to use starting the evening you return from your program, please store your pillow and bedding together: bound or in a bag/box clearly labeled with your name.

As an alternative option, CSU Residence Hall Association partnered with Dormify if you’d like to order your sheets and other items ahead of time.

A: We highly encourage students to come to campus with only the items they will need for the pre-departure on campus orientation and international travel. We encourage all families and guests to meet their students at the end of the program with the remaining move-in items they will need for the fall semester.  

All programs will return to CSU in time for official fall move-in which takes place August 12-14, 2024. 

We recognize for some students their only option will be to store fall belongings while traveling internationally for a variety of logistical factors.  Unfortunately, storage is very limited at CSU. If you will absolutely need storage, please inform Education Abroad by noting it in your “General Info Questionnaire” in your MyedAbroad portal. Storage may also come with an additional cost.   In preparation, please review what you can and cannot bring for move in or for storage at CSU.

A: Yes. All students will have access to laundry for free in the residence halls at CSU. However, students must provide their own laundry detergent.

A: Please join us at our Ram Welcome Back Story Telling & Dessert Hour! Education Abroad will be hosting an event for First Year & Bridge Seminar Abroad students, parents, and guests on August 14 from 6-7:30pm MST. Join us for dessert, reflections, and storytelling with your cohort of Rams that went abroad together as you kick off the fall semester. Guests are encouraged to join! We will be sending out an RSVP for this event as we get closer.

A: If you are traveling without a car, we recommend booking a Groome to get from the Denver International Airport to Colorado State University. The Groome will drop you off at the CSU Transit Center. Once you arrive at the CSU Transit Center you can:

• Walk from the CSU Transit Center to Academic Village Residence Halls for Check-In (approximately 0.5 miles)
• Take the free Around the Horn bus from the CSU Transit Center stop to the Meridian & Pitkin stop. You will then walk to Academic Village Residence Halls for Check-In.