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We've got a very special promotion coming up next week in honor of the first IU home football game of the season against Virginia. We love to show our support for IU Football and Coach Wilson and we've got a lot of Bloomington-themed posters in our inventory here at the Bloomington Visitors Center, so here's what we're planning...

It's as easy as 1-2-3 to show your Hoosier pride and take home a free Bloomington poster for your wall!

1) Watch for the IU-related secret phrase, which will be announced between Sept. 6-8. To be in the know, just make sure you follow @VisitBtown on Twitter or like our Facebook page for Visit Bloomington or the Bloomington Visitors Center.

2) Stop by the Bloomington Visitors Center at 2855 N. Walnut Street on Friday, Sept. 9 or Saturday, Sept. 10 during our normal hours. (That's 8:30 am to 5 pm on Friday and 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday.)

3) Check in on your favorite location based social network (such as Foursquare or Gowalla) or tag the Bloomington Visitors Center in your Facebook update. Include the secret phrase in your check-in or status update, show it to the Visitors Center staff and presto!

Yep, it's that easy. Just 1-2-3 and you go home with a free Bloomington poster! 
Go Hoosiers! 

The chaos of student move-in has faded, new and returning students alike are hopefully settling in to their new digs and classes are ready to begin. Welcome to B-town!

On the first official day of classes, we thought we'd kick off the new school year with a bit of advice for all those brand-new (and returning) Hoosiers in town! I polled the entire staff and here's what the experts at Visit Bloomington had to say:

• Wait to purchase books for classes, until you know if you really need them. Don't buy new ones that are expensive if there are used ones available.

• Use your meal points. You will miss them once they're gone.

• Take full advantage of the SRSC/HPER gym! You're paying for a gym membership and your metabolism is still high! It's easy to slip into a lazy funk freshman year so stay active!

• Leave time in between your classes to stop by Sugar & Spice at the IMU for a bagel in the morning or a Special K chewie in the afternoon!

• Get involved - as much as you can - and you will meet all kinds of people. Any opportunity you are given, take it.

• Venture outside your comfort zone. You may have come to school with other kids from your high school, but the point of freshman year is to meet new people. You're sharing your first year with 6,000 other freshmen who are in your shoes. Meet as many new people as possible!

• Join a club or a student organization. This is an awesome way to meet new people (not just freshmen), it will keep you busy, and it'll look great on a resume!

• Get familiar with the one-way streets, because there are many and sometimes they sneak up on you (Third Street!).

• Don't worry about getting lost because nothing is more than a 15 minute drive.

• Visit the IU and Bloomington museums, they are amazing and most students only hit the big ones.

• Eat at a new local restaurant at least once a month. Try something different- you'll probably love it!

• Don't be afraid to explore the entire community. The downtown area has a ton of great, local shops and restaurants, and believe it or not there's actually life west of Rogers Street! The outdoor recreation opportunities are tremendous, so take advantage of that.

• Take it a step further and spend a few Saturdays exploring beyond the confines of Bloomington. Within a very short drive, you and your new friends can experience a multitude of day trip destinations including a quaint artist colony, unique small towns and big city attractions. Go to Holiday World at least once.

• At least one summer during your student career, you must stay in Bloomington. The town has a totally different vibe in the summer. If you can't stay all summer, at least stay a couple of weeks or come back a little early. (This is true during the holiday break, as well!)

Oh, and don't forget that we're here to help. Whether you need advice on where to take your visiting parents for dinner or information on regional attractions, Visit Bloomington is here to help. Drop us a note on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, where you can just #AskBtown for help!

What a beautiful morning it is in Bloomington today! Looks like this week's weather is just perfect for playing a little hooky from work to meet a good friend for a round of golf out by Lake Monroe. If you're like the rest of us, we know you work hard and probably don't have as much time to spend having fun with your friends, so we're going to help you make it happen!

Between now and two o'clock this afternoon, you've got the chance to win a free round of golf at Eagle Pointe Golf Resort for you and a friend, plus $50 in gift cards to Talons Restaurant. Just leave us a comment and tell us why you or your friend deserve this B-town Break!