Orlando, A hoy!

A few weeks ago, I attended the First Year Experience Conference in Orlando. This is a chance for all student affairs & academic affairs folks to get together, discuss new and innovative ideas of reaching out to first-year students, and basically socialize with some free food and free books. FREE BOOKS. Seriously? Geek girl heaven.

This was my first time at this particular conference but not my first time in Orlando. It felt great to be back in a familiar city and I even got to have lunch with former O-Teamers. It was also great to enjoy the warmer weather but the humidity is something that I will never get used to in the South. My hair + humidity equals Gilly. Save for the small money snafu, it was a great experience.

The conference breakdown is like this: sessions running all the time about various subjects. You have to be pick and choose what you want to see the most including some of the conference activities and luncheons. There were several publishing houses there to promote their books as first-year reading selections which also meant lots of author meet and greets and the open area with booths that also sold products aimed at college campuses. This was all held in the Rosen Hotel and my crew and I stayed at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. These are gorgeous hotels and the staff know their business. It doesn't hurt that the Rosen Campus of University of Central Florida is just around the corner.

I have a stack of notes and handouts about two inches thick from the conference that I am still needing to sift through but the greatest thing about any of these conferences is the fact that you get to share ideas, see what other schools are doing that may or may not work, and network with other professionals. It is exhausting, exhilarating and enlightening!