So you don't have to ask: big questions for new students about Gainesville, studying, jobs and more.
What's there to do around Gainesville?
Throughout Gainesville and the surrounding areas, there are many options for students to who need to get away from campus for a while. Here are some ideas:
Ginnie, Blue or Poe springs: Located about 45 minutes outside of Gainesville, the springs are a natural resource with water coming from the underground aquifer. Although the water stays 72-degrees all year long, the springs offers an excellent day trip that many UF students have take advantage of.
Tube down Ichetucknee River: Not too far from Gainesville, in Fort White, students (and anyone else) can spend the day tube down Ichetucknee.
The tubing or rafting is one of the most popular attractions in the area.
Paynes Prairie: The state preserve park offers cycling, walking, equestrian trails, camping, picnicking, wildlife viewing and boat ramp access to Lake Wauburg.
Devil's Millhopper: the geological state park features a bowl-shaped cavity 120 feet deep leading down to a miniature rain forest. The park is open from Wednesday thru Sunday and has been visited since the 1880s.
Lake Wauburg: The UF lake offers students, faculty and staff a day of boating, swimming, volleyball, team development course, climbing wall and other activities for free with their Gator 1 card. Each person with a Gator 1 can bring up to four guests.
What kind of skills do I need to succeed in college and in the future?
Out of all the variety of skills necessary for freshman to acquire during their college years, Nadene Francis, UF Career Resource Center Public Relations director, said the most important skills include keeping an open mind, being /engaged but not overwhelmed/ and getting to know your professors and advisors.
/You think you know enough,/ Francis said of new students. /But there are lots of resources students don't know about./
She also said freshman need to be sure not to get involved with too many activities, and she suggested just doing two or three while you adjust to college life.
What resources are available to me for studying and tutoring?
The UF campus offers a myriad of options when it comes to studying and tutoring help. The nine libraries on campus offer quite sections for studying and many offer study rooms. And of course, there are lots of quite spots around campus to curl up with your textbook.
The UF teaching center, located in Broward Hall, offers free tutoring with math, reading and writing, as well.
In addition, the teaching center, note services, such as Smokin' Notes or Einstein Notes offer class notes and other studying guides for exams. Tutoring Zone also gives review sessions for many classes' exams.
How do you use the bus or get around campus?
Using the bus to get around campus is fairly simple. Campus routes don't cost anything and most routes run from about 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. City routes (the blue buses) are free as long as students have their Gator ID. Check out the local bus stops by your apartment or dorm to see what bus takes you to campus or pick up a bus schedule, found on any of the buses, to help you decide what to take. Visit www.go-rts.com for a complete bus-by-bus break down.
What are some tips for study abroad?
For many students at UF, they feel their time at UF isn't complete without study abroad. Students can chose from 800 to 900 programs, ranging from a week to a year if they want to study in another country.
According to the International Center Study Abroad Director Susanne Hill, students who are interested in study abroad need to attend an information session offered at the International Center and within different departments.
From the information session, students will sit down with study abroad advisors to determine the country is most compatible for them.
/We've got students all over the world,/ she said.
Where can I find a part-time job?
Other than looking at the classifieds in The Alligator or The Gainesville Sun, students can get information about available campus and off campus jobs at the Career Resource Center. The Web site explains to students the different types of campus jobs, too, said Nadene Francis, with the Career Resource Center.
The Career Resource Center will also host a Career Fair on Aug. 26, giving students the chance to find jobs.
How do you manage your time?
According to Francis, to manage your time well, the best thing to do is figure out what your goals are.
/Why are you here?/ she said.
Once you've answered that, ask yourself which option will help you move closer to that goal. Then, figure out how much study and downtime you need to give yourself, Francis said.
/Start with the end in mind,/ she advised.
What type of classes should I take?
Take the classes that meet your major's requirements, said Francis.
Use ISIS's degree audit to determine what prerequisites you will need and talk to advisors for help determining a good class schedule, she advises students.
Where's the best place to buy textbooks?
As many of you anxiously stand in line at the UF bookstore to get all the textbooks on your list before classes start, you most likely don't realize the large number of bookstores available to buy your textbooks. Your options are endless.
Most of the bookstores charge generally about the same amount, with minor differences, the most important difference-the one we all care about-is how much they will buy back your books for. Don't just settle for the bookstore you bought at, check out your options at the end of the semester.
Here's a bookstore breakdown:
The Florida Bookstore (three locations): The Florida Bookstore offers almost every book that the UF bookstore carries, usually around the same price.
Gator textbooks: While the bookstore carries many books offered by UF and Florida Bookstore, many professors will order their books through Gator textbooks and will not be available elsewhere, except maybe the next bookstore on the list.
Orange and Blue textbooks: Orange and Blue is a newer bookstore that carries books much like Gator textbooks. The bookstore is not as popular as the others, but offers some of the best deals.
UF bookstore: It's the UF bookstore-they have almost all the books, if they haven't run out.
How does the football ticket lottery work?
If you want to get season football tickets you have to register for the student season football ticket lottery and pre-pay for your ticket. Around April students will get an e-mail announcing when the lottery will be open. During that time, students can pay $70 for season tickets and in June, students receive an email if they did or didn't get tickets. Those who didn't get an automatic refund on the $70.
For those who didn't get tickets, during football season they still have the chance to get tickets on the Thursday before the game.
For more detailed explanations on the lottery, visit GatorZone.
What are the good restaurants in town?
Gainesville offers a plethora of good food and hole-in-the-all restaurants. Almost any appetite can be satisfied after a few minutes drive around Gainesville. From Satchels or Leonardo's Pizza to Las Margaritas, Moe's or Burrito Brothers, UF students will never go hungry.
How do you find upcoming events?
For students looking to find events going on around campus, try checking out the Alligator's /What's Happening/ section, the UF homepage calendar or Inside UF.
How does drop/add work?
For about a week at the beginning of the fall and springs semesters, students will get to add and drop classes. So, if you need a class that you couldn't get to earlier, then drop/add is the time to try to get in it. Similarly, you can drop a class if you decide not to take it.
Students also get to drop a classes throughout the semester, with a cut off date a few weeks before exam week begins. So, if you didn't do so well, you can drop the class and try to take it again next semester.
Be careful though, many students stock up on classes and then decide what they want to keep or drop the first week of classes. Often times, it makes it hard for students (like freshman) to get into the classes they need.
How should you set up your schedule?
Be aware of what classes you will need ahead of time, Francis said.
She explained that by not looking at the classes you will need in the future, you could miss out on other opportunities.
/So you don't have to take summer classes, and you can get an internship,/ she said.
Francis also said to assess yourself and determine when you study best, such as in the morning or evening, and set up your schedule accordingly.
What if I'm a ___________ major?
After talking with a few different college advisors, they said the number one questions they get from freshman are 'what should I do?'
Get involved they say. Not only should you take the classes you need and plan ahead of time, but also get involved with the activities your college provides.
