Thousands of incoming students have visited campus over the past two months for LSU’s 16 orientation events known as Bengal Bound Orientation. From helping students with their transition to meeting new friends, event directors and students agree that Bengal Bound is key to first-year success.
The preparation work for Bengal Bound begins long before incoming Tigers arrive on campus. Directors and staff take no time after the previous year’s session to review feedback and decide which changes they would like to make to the program.
Meridia Walker, director of Transition and Student Success, stated that feedback from incoming students and family members who attended Bengal Bound is also an important factor in the decisions made to enhance how the program evolves the following year.
“We review all of the feedback that we receive through the surveys typically in September, and then we kind of hit the ground running from there,” said Walker.
Once the spring semester rolls around, Bengal Bound directors begin selecting orientation leaders. Becoming an orientation leader is one of the many ways that current LSU students can get involved in orientation. Students who are passionate about LSU, involved in organizations on campus and have been academically successful while at LSU are encouraged to apply by Walker.
All of the preparations for a successful Bengal Bound event create an atmosphere that allows for incoming students to get the most out of their visit to Baton Rouge.
“When I think about the transition to college, attending Bengal Bound is really a primer for that experience,” said Walker. “Going to Bengal Bound allows students to start making connections with other students who are experiencing the same things.”
2025 LSU alumna Diamond Milanö agrees with Walker, explaining that her experience at Bengal Bound set her apart from her peers who did not attend.
“I met a lot of students from my state during Bengal Bound that made me feel safe and comfortable, although we didn’t know each other very well,” said Milanö. “When we met, we were able to feel comfortable knowing a familiar face [or] person was in the room.”
Looking back, those memories are ones that are very important to her LSU experience.
“I can comfortably say we all still talk about the time we met at Bengal Bound, and over the four years of schooling, we still all engage when we see each other and are still friends to this day,” said Milanö.
In addition to meeting new people, incoming students also hear about the resources that LSU has to offer, like the LSU Campus Life, Residential Life and Student Success offices. Connecting with these support systems gives students the feeling that they are actually part of the LSU community, according to Walker.
“While it’s just a day, the orientation experience is really a collaborative effort across multiple departments, offices and units,” said Walker. “It’s really, truly what I think when we talk about LSU being three letters, two colors, one state.”
Walker explained that Bengal Bound serves as a big moment for incoming freshmen and is often more than just a regular day on campus.
“To me, it’s really that first step in the next four years,” said Walker. “This is the front door that they get to walk through, and it’s the excitement, the newness, you know, we see all of those things come up during the orientation.”
During the 16 events on campus, Walker explained that her favorite part of orientation is seeing the excitement of students and families as they start their journey at LSU.
“You see the same level of excitement; they’re nervous, but they’re also like, ‘I got this,’ and they’re just starting to figure themselves out and you see all of that happen in front of you, and that is incredible,” said Walker.
