Gold Rush is fun for the participants. But it is based on the application of retention principles to help students integrate with peers and make social connections before classes start. Simply put, Boiler Gold Rush makes a large campus seem small. For every eight or 10 Boiler Gold Rush participants, one student leader is companion, mentor, tour guide. Most activities take place in a small circle of new friends.
New students come away from the events feeling at home.
When that happens, they are less likely to seek the security of the home they left behind. A rough map of the United States has been laid out in advance. Some students who have traveled far to attend Purdue will catch a ride home with a new friend they met this day. Others will see a familiar face in the crowd between classes and recall that person's from home. For all, the West Lafayette Campus will be more home away from home than a place they went to college.