Anonymous said at 4:27pm Jul 19, 2008

1. Buy comfortable bedding (sateen cotton is wonderful, comfy blanket relieves much stress, a nice pillow leaves you well rested).

2. Make a list of what to bring way ahead of time so you don't have to make many trips home/to the store when you move in.

3. Search for your textbooks ahead of time (http://www.bookstore.uga.edu Bookstore link). You don't sign up for classes until you do orientation/advising in the summer, so earlier you do orientation, the better. Utilize things like amazon.com and half.com (and even ebay) to search for cheaper books. International edition books are basically cheap paperback versions of gigantor hardback textbooks. If you can find these, you'll save a lot of money. (for example, I paid $11 for a textbook that normally costs $100). Also make sure you're purchasing the correct edition if you're not getting it from the bookstore. Most of the time, nothing changes when there's an edition change, but ask around.

4. Try to sign up for a dormatory that is going to be close to where most of your classes are. (Print out a map or get a map somewhere and look it up). Also, sign up early. (Myers Hall/myers community is an awesome community btw :p)

5. There should be new class listings out so you can kind of look up what you predict your classes to be. Schedule of Classes and important calendar dates and here is the degree list This site gives a listing of all the majors and what your required classes are. If you need more help, look up the department's undergraduate advisor and email them asking for help. You can also ask them if you can have contact info of the students in the department to help you out.

6. Link to the key. It gives average scores for classes sorted by teacher & course numbe

Anonymous said at 4:27pm Jul 19, 2008

The Athens loop is a lie. It's a big C with a closed end. Try to understand it early so you don't get really confused later.

Get to know your professors. They can really help you down the line and are often really interesting people. Don't be afraid to wander into an office and ask questions, especially if you are still considering your major.

Join a student organization so you can meet some people. Intramural sports, student government, hobby-focused groups, political groups, and campus ministries are all great ways to make friends and find your niche in the University Community.

Check out other sports besides football and basketball. The Gym dogs are great, tennis is among the best in the nation, soccer is fun, and swimming and diving deserves a shot too.

Get involved in the community. Volunteer with a nonprofit. Do some mentoring. Check out a local church or other place or worship.

Try to stay in Athens as many weekends as possible. They are great times to meet people, attend events, and just wander around the campus or city.

If you have friends from high school on campus, try to hang out with other people besides them. You'll get the chance to meet friends of your new friends and really expand the number of people you know.

Ask people living in your dorm to go to the dining hall with you or let you go with them so you can get to know them better.

Don't just go downtown for concerts. Check out a UGA orchestra performance or one of the other groups from the music school.

Take a walk through the botanical gardens. Play a game of ultimate frisbee on the myers quad. Lay out on Herty field or the north campus areas and read.

Look on the UGA bulletin (www.bulletin.uga.edu) and know your degree program better than your advisors do. Otherwise, they'll end up giving you the wrong class schedule at some point and you won't be able to graduate on time. Check out your DARS analysis on Oasis for help with this.

Anonymous said at 4:27pm Jul 19, 2008

1. I find it helpful to bring my laptop to class and follow along with powerpoints/ add information/ type notes that the professor says simply because i cannot write as fast as i type and my writing is messy and unorganized. However, don't let sites like facebook and youtube distract you from lecture. yes, it is going to happen but you will quickly learn that you miss information while browsing on facebook.

2. if you drink, the 1st couple of times you go downtown people will know you are a freshman. Your eyes will light up like a little kid in a candy store. stay low key until you figure out how everything works with underage drinking. cops in athens are awful.

3. dont cross a cross walk when it is a red hand when you are drunk downtown. you will get a jay walking ticket and the price is very high!

4. rushing is a good way to meet people. you can always rush without pledging.

5. you dont have to be in a sorority or frat. there are MANY other ways to meet people on campus. UGA has a lot to offer

6. club sports are awesome. you get to travel to other universities and play a sport you love and yet it is not as demanding as a varsity sport but more competitive than intramurals

7. intramural sports are fun! even if you are no good at the sport, do it anyway!

8.if you plan on taking the buses around campus, learn where they go your first few weeks of class while everyone else is learning. dont wait until a month or 2 in the semester to finally succumb to the buses! if youre going to look like a fool, might as well do it with every other freshman. (dont be afriad to take a riders guide located on the bus a lot of poeple will be and it will save you the embarrassment in the long run). also, dont be afraid to ask the bus driver if the bus takes you to where you want to go. they understand that you are new and they have been doing these routes for a long time.

9. despite contrary belief, snelling dining hall is NOT open 24