Guidance for New Students

Many programs and services at the university are designed to help new students succeed in this academic environment. Developing your own network of support professionals, and seeking their counsel will help you to have confidence in your ability to navigate in your new surroundings. Consider the following ideas to get started on your path of academic success!

Research & Develop an Estimate of Your Cost of Attendance

Your actual cost to attend the university may be much less than the published cost of attendance. Gather information to make a reasonable estimate for what you will pay for tuition, books, housing, food, transportation, and personal expenses. Knowing what to expect will help in your planning.

Identify Available Resources & Sources of Support

Research and be informed about federal, institutional, and private sources of financial support. You should also be familiar with counseling and support resources on campus. Being more knowledgeable about these programs and services will help you to receive needed assistance and interact more effectively with campus professionals.

Get Help

Avoid learning things the hard way. Schedule appointments to meet with appropriate counselors, to register for classes, develop your academic plan, and create an overall strategy for how you will pay for school expenses. They can help you to avoid some of the common mistakes that new students make when they first enroll at the university.

Meet with an Enrollment Services Counselor

Apply Early, Pay Attention to Deadlines, & Monitor University Communications

To avoid significant and costly disruptions, work well ahead of schedule. Be aware of deadlines and be sure to monitor and respond to university communications promptly. And ask questions. Lots of them! It is a lot less trouble to plan ahead, and stay informed, than it is to fix problems that might have been avoided.

Set Goals

Counselors can help you to set important and realistic goals for your college experience. And having goals will help you to plan more effectively, and act in ways that are consistent with achieving these outcomes. Discuss appropriate goals with each counselor you meet with, to help guide you in your academic endeavors.

Develop a Working Budget & Avoid Unnecessary Debt

Seek assistance to develop realistic expectations for your school expenses and work with a Financial Fitness counselor to develop a budgeting method that will work for you. A budget can help you to plan and manage your spending, to meet your needs, and to achieve important goals.

Avoid debt as much as possible. If it becomes necessary to borrow, be sure to calculate how much you can truly afford and what amount will be manageable when you graduate. A Financial Fitness counselor can help you do the calculations and provide other guidance to help you limit or avoid debt whenever possible. Our College Funding Tool is also available to estimate any need to borrow and assess how much debt you can afford.

Meet with an Academic Counselor

An academic counselor can help you to register for a reasonable course load; make sure your planned enrollment meets graduation requirements. It is also not cost-effective to stay enrolled longer than is necessary to achieve your degree. Some students may take additional classes to explore various majors, but an academic counselor can help you to more efficiently complete graduation requirements.