Bear-y Important Newsletter | September 2026
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Your first month there is a lot to take in. You don’t need to figure everything out at once. Here are a few things worth knowing, doing, and trying during your first 30 days.
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START HERE
Meet Your First-Year Support Team
Your Class Dean, Khoa Khuong, and Rebecca Banks, Interim Assistant Director of Student Affairs, are here to help you navigate your first year. You’ll soon receive an invitation for a one-on-one meeting to connect and talk about how your transition is going. They look forward to meeting you!
Have a Question?
Ask Us Anything: Breakfast with Dean Khuong
An informal weekly drop-in where you can ask about campus resources, activities, academics, or just how things work at Bowdoin. Meet classmates, listen in, or simply stop by and say hello. No RSVP needed!
Wednesdays, 8–9 a.m., starting Sept. 9
Hutchinson Room, first floor of Thorne Dining Hall
Walk & Talk with ResLife
Want to talk through roommate dynamics, communication, or setting boundaries? Connect with Olivia Sackler, Interim Assistant Director of Residential Life. Olivia brings experience in communication, boundary-setting, and conflict management—and she also has a great eye for décor.
Keep an Eye on Your Bowdoin Email
Periodically students receive email from registrar@bowdoin.edu. Please pay close attention as these contain important information, deadlines and instructions about registration, grades, and student records.
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ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Go To Office Hours
Meet With Your Liberal Arts Advisor
Your advisors can help you plan your academic path at Bowdoin. Get to know them, share your interests and goals, and work together to explore courses, understand requirements and build your schedule.
Meet With Your Professor
Your professors are an important part of your academic journey. Use office hours to ask questions, discuss course material, get advice about future courses or majors and explore ideas that interest you. Visit their office hours to get support or to simply say hello!
Sunday–Thursday, 6–10 p.m.
H-L Library, 1st floor
Starting Sept. 13
Weekdays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
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DON'T MISS THESE
Want to Become a BOC Leader?
Love being outside and want to lead others? Apply for BOC Leadership Training by midnight Sept. 10. The semester-long program develops outdoor leadership skills through backpacking and canoe trips and prepares you to plan and lead your own trips. Join them for an information session on September 9th at 4:30 p.m.
Learn more → Email Anna or Emmie
Building Bridges Application
Interested in bonding with and learning from an ideologically diverse group of peers? Want to learn how to dialogue about tough issues? Building Bridges brings students together to practice dialogue about challenging issues. The fall cohort meets Fridays, 2:30–4 p.m., beginning Sept. 25. Participants can also earn a BBB LinkedIn badge and complete a capstone project.
Common Good Grant Applications
Want to learn about philanthropy while connecting with Brunswick-area nonprofits? Students in the Common Good Grant program solicit donations, evaluate grant proposals, and help decide which local nonprofits receive grants. It’s a hands-on way to learn about the community beyond campus. Apply by September 14th.
Be a Host for Explore Bowdoin 2026!
Welcome prospective Polar Bears to campus and help make their Bowdoin experience memorable! Admissions is expecting about 65 high school seniors on campus for each Explore Bowdoin session, September 17–19 and October 22–24. Volunteer to host one or two students in your dorm room for one night—Thursday, Sept. 17 and/or Thursday, Oct. 22. It’s a great way to pay it forward, connect with prospective students, and share what makes Bowdoin special.
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FIND YOUR PEOPLE
Student Events Happening Each Week
Looking for something fun to do or try on campus? Check your email every Sunday at 10 AM for a list of events each week.
Learn more → Top Student Events this Week
Get Outside: Sign Up for BOC Trips!
Miss getting outside after your Orientation Trip? Keep exploring with the Bowdoin Outing Club! First, complete the BOC paperwork—it’s different from your Orientation Trip paperwork. Once that’s done, you can sign up for trips through CampusGroups.
Find Your College House
Check Bricks and Beyond to find your affiliated College House. As an affiliate, you’ll receive event invitations, connect with sophomores, and have access to a great study space and kitchen.
Hacks & Snacks
New to Bowdoin or a seasoned pro? Hacks & Snacks is for you! Meet incredible people, explore academic resources, and vibe to great music while eating delicious snacks and sipping Loon Coffee. Come connect, explore, and thrive.
Sept. 23, 2–4 p.m. • Hawthorne-Longfellow Library
International Students: Meet Your Dean & Connect
Meet with Dean Hussey
F-1 students are required to meet with Associate Class Dean Hussey within 30 days of arriving at Bowdoin. Please bring your passport, Form I-20, and Form I-94 to your meeting.
Learn More → Schedule online
Living in Brunswick, Maine, USA: Beyond Bean Boots and Lobster Bakes
Join Dean Hussey and Sanja Gerskovic from Counseling Services on Fridays at 9 a.m. for a breafast series created especially for first-year international students. Explore topics including culture shock, relationships, isolation, identity and more. Come connect with others, share your experiences and talk about what it's like adjusting to life at Bowdoin and in Brunswick.
Want to Meet with a Dietitian?
Briana Bruinooge, Bowdoin's non-diet dietitian, can help you think about fueling and nourishing your body, having energy, and addressing unwanted gut issues. Meet one-on-one in person at Health Services on Tuesdays or virtually on other days.
Learn More → Schedule in person or online
Need a Private Space for a Call or Telehealth?
Try 3rd Space in Dudley Coe
Five private offices on the second floor of Dudley Coe are available for:
Telehealth • Appointments • Personal Calls • Interviews • Calling home
7 a.m.–11 p.m.• seven days a week • first-come, first-served
Check your email and door signage for guidelines.
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