1st Year Students...Welcome to the University of Cincinnati!

Congratulations on being accepted to the University of Cincinnati!  We are excited that you will be joining us this fall and become a part of our University of Cincinnati family!

Many entering freshman are unaware of the requirements, time commitments needed to be successful students in college.  The rigors of college life will present many new experiences and challenges for you.  The information included on this webpage is an attempt to adequately equip you with what you need to be successful your first year, through graduation and hopefully, throughout your lifetime.

Most of the information you will find on this webpage are an accumulation of information from articles, books, magazines, as well as personal experience while working with a variety of first year students. 

Academic Excellence & Support Services, a service-oriented team, provides comprehensive, university-wide resources, programs and services designed to promote transformative academic excellence through individual and group support, in a safe environment, building on a foundation of collaboration, integrity, purpose and passion.  Thus, our programs will enable you to "hit the ground running" with a solid foundation of the study skills, strategies and tactics needed for you to be a successful college student.  The information is divided into several key areas.  While many of these may seem elementary, they are equally crucial to both your academic and personal success in college.  

                                        Good luck in your freshman year! - Academic Excellence & Support Services (AESS) Staff

                                              Learning Assistance Center                                       Disability Services Office
                                              120 University Pavilion                                              210 University Pavilion
                                              Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0090                                      Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0213
                                                        513-556-3244                                                           513-556-6823


Summer Before Classes Begin. (June - August)
     1. Attend New Student Bearcat Bound Orientation.
     2. Learn technology needed for college. (Click here)
     3. Set goals for the upcoming year. (Click here)
     4. Develop a stress management plan. (Click here)
     5. Make contact with your roommate(s).
     6. Transfer long-term medications to local pharmacy.
     7. Have parents/guardians make hotel reservations for New Student Convocation & Parent's Weekend.
     8. Develop a college budget. (Click here, review pages 48-50)
     9. Finalize housing arrangements.
     10. Preview your Welcome Week brochure, highlight several possible activities you will attend.
     11.  Try not to schedule your courses back-to-back when you register on the 2nd day of Bearcat Bound Orientation.

Before Arriving on Campus (September)
     1. Bring necessary health information.
     2. Get prepared to move in - Review list of items needed for college.
     3. Bring Bearcat Bound Orientation Binder, Academic Planner (from Orientation) & Welcome Week Brochure.
     4. Get addresses, email addresses of relatives and loved ones.
     5. Read through the 1st Year Resources. (right column of this page!)
     6. Review information in your Bearcat Binder - My Toolbox.
     7. Review financial aid options, policies and procedures.  Read and re-read UUCP's policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress.
     8. Consider the differences between high school & college.
     9. If you had an IEP or 504 Plan in high school, schedule an intake appointment with the Disability Services Office.
   10. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.  This book contains a lot of relevant information regarding some of the issues that
        you will face in college, and help you develop great decision making skills.

1st Days on Campus (September 14-18, 2007)
     1. Attend New Student Convocation, Sunday September 16, 2007.
     2. Participate in Welcome Week Programs.
     3. Check your schedule at www.onestop.uc.edu for possible building/room changes. 
     4. Walk the campus with your schedule of courses in hand - this will lessen the likelihood you go to the wrong class on the first day!
     5. Attend College Day program on September 18, 2007 - this is mandatory for all incoming freshman.  
     6. If you instructor uses Blackboard, print and review the course syllabus.  Write any questions you have regarding the course content.
     7. Sign up for tutoring services in the Learning Assistance Center, 1st Floor University Pavilion, Suite 120.
     8. Find your campus resources.  For example, where are the computer labs, what are their hours of operation, is there a website address?
     9. Find the name of your academic advisor, their phone number and email address.  
    
First Day of Class (Wednesday, September 19, 2007)
     1. Eat Breakfast!
     2. Get to each class 5-10 minutes early.
     3. Sit in the front row, be attentive!
     4. Introduce yourself to your classmates - exchange phone numbers with 2-3 students in each course.
     5. Take notes.
     6. Review the syllabus, ask questions.

First Full Week of Classes (September 24- 28, 2007)
     1. Continue doing all of the items listed under "First Day of Class."
     2. Establish weekly and quarterly plans for studying and managing your time.  
     3. Find a quiet place to study.
     4. Use your daylight hours to study. 
     5. Study the hardest subjects first.
     6. Use your Bearcat academic planner to make note of important dates & deadlines.
     7. Review your goals for the academic year.  Put your goals in a place you can see them each day.  
     8. Review your notes daily for each course.  This should be done immediately after class when the information is still fresh in your mind.
     9. Review your syllabus before each class.  This is so you will remember what was last discussed and what the lecture will cover on that day.
     
October 2007
     1. Continue doing all of the items listed under "First Full Week of Classes."
     2. Check in with parents or loved ones once a week to let them know how you are doing. 
     3. Visit your professors every 2 weeks during their office hours.  Ask for your current grade in the course, AND if there is extra credit available.
     4. The first week of October (10/1-10/5), schedule an appointment with your academic advisor.  Have an idea of the courses you will take
         winter.
         Your academic advisor will inquire about your quarter thus far and ask about the courses you plan on taking winter quarter.  Early registration
         for winter quarter begins Monday, October 22, 2007!  
     5. If you are thinking about dropping a course, consider the consequences first. (Click here).
     6. Midterm examinations will begin the second and third weeks in October.  If you have not done so already, sign up for tutoring services, or begin
         attending the Supplemental Instruction (click here for schedule).  You should also consider becoming part of the Peer Mentor Program.  These
         returning students are a great resource to help you with academic planning, study skills, networking, and academic planning. Lastly, review the
         LAC Self-Help Resources related to test taking strategies and others that you may find useful at this time.  Or go to How to Study for e-
         resources!
     7. Do all suggested problems from your syllabus or that you receive in class, and the chapter review questions in the back of each textbook.  
         These are study aids and will help you learn the course material and increase your confidence in your knowledge of the material.
     8. Upon receipt of your midterm examinations, review the test with your textbook.  Make a note of the problems you missed and what section of
         your textbook they can be located.  Review this material each day until you have a solid understanding of it.  Most professors provide
         cumulative final examinations, you will more than likely see the same material again.  Lastly, remember if you are taking a sequence of
         courses, you will need the foundational knowledge from the previous course.  This means the information needs to become a part of your long-
         term memory!
     9. In October some students become overwhelmed and feel depressed.  Please seek assistance immediately.  The Counseling Center has a variety
         of online resources for students, though we feel it is best to go there and talk to someone as soon as possible!
   

November 2007
     1. Continue doing items 1, 2, 7, 8, 9) from the list above.
     2. When you go home for Thanksgiving break (November 22-24, 2007), spend at least 3 hours studying each day.  Studying is defined as
         reviewing
         your notes, and preparing for final examinations which will occur approximately one week after your return from break. 
     3. Schedule a meeting with an Academic Coach to prepare a final exam study schedule, or review the LAC Study Skills Booklet on Test Taking 
         Strategies and the LAC Power Point on Final Exam Success.  

December 2007 (TBA)

  1st Year Resources:
10 Misconceptions about College

40 Money Management Tips Every College Freshman Should Know

Academic Probation & YOU!

Common Emotional Conflicts of 1st year Students

Freshman Facts

Personal Money Management Course

Preparing for Academic Success