Wow, I haven't posted in forever. Ok, here's the big LD for all you incoming fishes:
Health insurance:
You're health insurance does not go into effect until classes are in session. Until then, if you are quiting a job where you have previously had insurance, you will get a Cobra insurance option via snailmail automatically. If you are coming from undergrad and will no longer be on your parents policy, you can also apply for Cobra. The school's policy is through Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield. If you opt out of this a good individual policy is offered by State Farm. I would recommend not getting the dental insurance, b/c I found it was a waste of money.
Living in DSM:
I'm going to give you one broad area to STAY AWAY from when looking for a place to live. So break out your maps. Anything east of Fleur Drive, anything North of I-235 and East of 42nd street (these go together). Do not live near Drake University. Live as close to campus as possible. Many/most students live in apartments across the street from school. There are also quite a few that live in West Des Moines and Urbandale. I personally rent right now from Olde English Village. I HATE THIS PLACE! There is no insulation in the walls or ceilings so you hear everything - including sneezing, talking, coughing, and all the nasty stuff too. There are other apartment complexes in my neighborhood that are nicer - Regency Woods, Colonial Village. I just recently bought a townhouse in Valley Junction, and there are several others that are still available. So whoever it was that had the wife, kid, and baby on the way, this is a MUCH better option than renting. Trust me. And if you think you can't buy, try FHA loans, you usually only need 3% down.
Orientation:
The week of orientation will be fun and busy. There usually is breakfast for some mornings. For the first couple of days we all wore business casual and then it got more casual as the week went on. You will get tons of info. We got our laptops at the end of the week. DO NOT BUY ANY TEXTBOOKS! I don't care how excited and ansey you get, don't buy any yet. During orientation you will find out who your assigned 2nd year Big Bro/Sis is and they will tell you what to buy for, and may have their old books for you to buy at a cheaper price. At the end of the week, if it's anything like last year, there will be a picinic for all the students, and you can bring your s.o. too. We had a band play last year, and there were door prizes. Very cool stuff.
General:
I subscribe to Notepool, which is awesome and definitely worth. I bought the old test packet but never use it. If you work at a healthcare place now and are in access of a box of Nitrle gloves, get one. You will need these for anatomy lab, oh and a long lab coat. Keep up with the notes and don't fall behind. If you feel like you're doomed by the middle of the 1st semester, relax, everyone gets this feeling. You may just need to change your studying pattern. If you think, omg this is so hard, yes it is, but yes it can be done. Invest in 2-3" 3 ring binders. I already have 6 filled with notes, handouts, notecards, etc. Make sure you have a life that's separate from school to keep you sane. Go out with friends, workout, explore different hobbies, party it up, schedule time to watch a TV show regularly, or just sit on the couch and do nothing. These are things that you won't be doing a lot of once you get really involved in studying. When we have Club Day, don't over-do yourself by volunteering for every single club. Pick the ones that you think will interest you the most. There will be plenty of opportunites to volunteer throughout the year. Just don't string yourself too thin.
Hmmm, I think that's all I have for right now. If you have any questions/comments send me a PM. These are all my opinions and experiences so you will of course hear differently from others. Oh and by the way, once you're in school, and if you're anything like me, you will hardly have any time for SDN anymore. So try to get out and live it up now before school starts. See you guys in 3 months!