As a new freshman or a transfer student, there are certain aspects about K-State you may not know to do before your first day of classes. Here are a few tasks that will help you prepare for that nerve-wracking first day and the stressful semester to follow.
1. Check iSIS
Checking your iSIS account before the first few days of classes is important. ISIS will tell you what classes you are officially registered in, what classes you are on the wait list for and what classes you were unable to get into. After confirming which classes you are enrolled in, the first thing you should do is print out your schedule. In past semesters, iSIS has gone down due to too many students trying to check their schedules at the last minute, so it’s a good idea to get this done before the first day of classes.
Keep checking iSIS throughout the semester, because it also contains information about advisers; holds on student accounts and financial records, including outstanding tuition and fees; payment plans and academic awards and scholarships. ISIS also allows students to drop a class. If you get a couple of days or weeks into a class and realize it’s not for you, this is where you will go to officially drop it.
2. Check K-State Online
As a K-State student, it is important to check your K-State Online account before your first day of classes. It is critical to make sure you really are enrolled in all of the classes you thought you were registered for and that those classes are coming up on your KSOL account. After that, it is important to check all of the classes that are live on the site for any information your instructor has posted.
Check to see if your syllabi are posted. Print out all the syllabi you need and bring them to class on the first day. Be prepared and informed about what your classes are about, the timeline of assignments and projects and what books and other academic aids you will need. Check KSOL every day for updates on grades and upcoming assignments.
3. Check Webmail
Webmail is the email service students and faculty use through the university. Start checking Webmail regularly at least a week before classes start to see if your professors have emailed you anything about the upcoming semester. Some professors might email students handouts for class or information about what they need to be prepared for on the first day. Professors may also email the syllabi for their classes rather than posting it on KSOL.
It is important to go to the first day of classes as prepared as you can be, and checking Webmail regularly helps ensure that you are. Finally, don’t be afraid to email your professors and ask any questions you have about the class or their expectations.
4. Check your actual mail
Make sure to be aware of the mail at the home you moved from and at your new residence hall, apartment or house. The first thing you want to do after moving is change your mailing address, which you can do online in less than five minutes at the U.S. Postal Service website.
Sometimes K-State will mail things that are important but might be missed if you do not stay on top of your mailbox. Students may overlook this because they are getting settled into their new living quarters for the upcoming year. However, it is an important step in case K-State, your landlord or any other person of power may have delivered something containing critical information for you as a student.
These four tasks may seem obvious or second nature to students returning to K-State, but it is important that new students do not overlook them. These four tasks should also be repeated daily throughout the semester to make sure you are as prepared as possible.
