Bring it or buy it there?
At South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the bike is a short-distance tool: campus and the middle of Rapid City are practically the same errand. If you already have a bike you like and it's in good shape, bringing it is usually worth it — you know it fits and you trust it. If you don't, buy after you arrive, not before: a local shop will size you properly and do the first tune-up, and a campus or town bike co-op (most college towns have one) is the cheap, friendly way to find a sound used bike and learn basic repairs. Skip the big-box "bike-shaped object" — it costs more in repairs and frustration than a decent used bike.
The ground here is genuinely hilly, so gears matter more than looks: a usable low gear (or a modest e-assist) is the difference between riding all term and quietly stopping in week three.
The theft reality — lock like it matters
A small campus doesn't make a bike thief-proof — it just makes the racks quieter. Bikes still disappear from college towns, most often the ones locked with a cable "because it's only for an hour." In a city this size, lock it properly even for the ten-minute stop — that's the theft, every time. Get a hardened U-lock, always lock the frame and rear wheel to a fixed rack, account for quick-release wheels and your saddle, and register your serial number with campus security or a national registry. A good lock used well is the single biggest thing between you and a bad week.
Class, groceries, and everything else
Everything is close, and that changes what you should spend on. Put the money into the lock and the lights, not the frame — you're making a lot of short trips and a lot of short stops, and the short stop is where bikes get stolen. A rack or a basket will do more for your week than anything else you could bolt on.
A note for parents
The most useful send-off isn't the flashiest bike — it's the boring kit that keeps a student riding safely all year: a serious lock, lights that stay charged, fenders for the wet months, and a rack so they'll actually carry books and groceries. Run the Assessment together in Rapid City and it'll turn your student's real situation into a short kit list — and flag the one item worth spending real money on.