Top 6-ish things to do in your first week at University

1. Read up on the UMSU Health and Dental plan. Opting out can put some extra coin in your pocket, but knowing how the coverage works might save you even more. Careful research will help you tell the difference.
2. Write your professor’s office hours into your agenda as soon as you get them. Having them in your daytimer will simplify your life once you’ve mis-organized the syllabus.
3. Put money on your photocopy card/student card. You may not need to photocopy something now, but later on when you have 15 minutes to print out 20 copies of a presentation before class you’ll be thankful the money is there.
4. If necessary, walk through your timetable. Know where each classroom is and the most efficient way to get from one building to another (especially in winter). In this context, efficient can mean: warm, uncrowded and/or going past a coffee shop.
5. Avoid line-ups by getting there early. The registrar’s office, the University 1 office, the financial aid and awards office and the Bookstore are all hotbeds of activity in September. Showing up before they open can help you avoid wasting too much time standing in line.
6. Spend time on the University of Manitoba website randomly following links. There are hundreds of people at the university employed to do nothing but help students. Knowing where these people work and what they do is vital to helping you succeed in the long term. You can find a job, find a new course, find academic supports and many other resources. Accessing departmental websites can also give you a sense of different directions your education can go.
7. Attend Orientation events. They are a great way to have fun and connect with others.

Kris