Before you know it, the holidays season will be over and Spring semester will start at full speed. Whether this is your first semester in College or not, there are actions you can take now to ensure you are ready to start the new semester. Below are some great tips to start the Spring semester right:
Register for your classes
Most universities or colleges will require you to go through an orientation program if the Spring semester will be your first semester in college. During this orientation session, you will meet with your advisor and register for your classes. However, if this coming semester will be your second one, you have less support. My advice is that you schedule some time to meet with your advisor as soon as possible so you can register for classes. It’s very important to do this as soon as possible because classes fill up quickly.
Meeting with your advisor early on increases your chances of registering for the courses your major requires. If you do not register on time and all the classes required for your major fill up, your advisor will have no other option but to put you in classes that are available in order to help you maintain your F-1 visa status. Those courses may not be related to your major.
Buy or rent your books:
Once you’ve registered for classes, look on your university’s website so you can get the list of the required textbook for the classes you register for. Once you have the list, do some research online. Unless the book you need is specific to your school, I do not recommend buying books from the school bookstore. I have spent hundreds of dollars on books I bought from the school bookstore whereas I could’ve spent way less by renting or buying online. These are the 2 websites that I often used throughout my college years that helped save me tons of money: Amazon and knetbooks. Valorebooks is also a great place to use when looking to rent or buy books online. Most of these websites offer free shipping and free return.
Buy school supplies
Now that you have your books, make sure you buy general school supplies like pens, pencils, sharpies, notebooks…etc. or any school supplies you might need. Amazon and Walmart usually have the cheapest school supplies. By the way, if you are a regular reader of my articles, you will know how much I love Amazon. Amazon has made my life so much easier and that of many people around the world.
Now that you have your books, make sure you buy general school supplies like pens, pencils, sharpies, notebooks, eraser…etc. or any school supplies you might need. Amazon and Walmart usually have the cheapest school supplies. By the way, if you are a regular reader of my articles, you will know how much I love Amazon. Amazon has made my life so much easier and that of many people around the world.
Get ready for winter
I hope that you are by now ready for winter! However, if you’ve just arrived to the United States, I recommend you read my article about how to get ready for winter. It contains helpful tips to survive American winter. Like I recommended in that article, get a small heater if you will be living on campus and will have roommates or suite-mates, . This will save you so much trouble or roommates issues.
Plagiarism: The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines plagiarism as “the act to steal and pass off the ideas or words of someone else as one’s own or to use an article without crediting the source”. American universities are very strict about plagiarism and punish it when it occurs. In most universities, plagiarism will automatically result in you failing that class. Some universities will even spell you. Although some teachers will quickly go over it with you when classes start, I recommend you take some time to research about plagiarism before school starts.
