By Kerry Thomas, Academic Advisor

Hello and welcome to all of our new Beaver Believers! The CLA advising office is excited to see vans, moving trucks, parents, students and volunteers all over campus getting students settled in for the school year.  If you are new to campus, there are a few things we would like to tell you about Connect week and the first week of class to make your transition a little smoother.

First, print a new copy of your class schedule and walk to each of your classrooms.  Finding your building among all of the trees and brick buildings on campus is only half the battle. Some buildings on campus are a little challenging to navigate, so make sure to identify where each class will be located before the start of the term.

Second, GO TO CLASS! Start off your first term with good academic habits.  Attending classes is one of the strongest predictors for earning good grades.  If you find yourself struggling in your classes, or if you are nervous about starting your first college classes, go over to the Academic Success Center in 102 Waldo Hall and attend a success workshop, meet with an academic coach, get support from the writing center, or identify tutoring resources in order to improve your academic performance.

Third, this is CONNECT week, GO MAKE CONNECTIONS! Utilize the resources and workshops that New Student Programs has prepared for you. Most importantly, come over to the College of Liberal Arts Barbecue this Thursday afternoon on the front lawn of Gilkey Hall.  Free food starts at 12:30 and we will be giving away tons of prizes including shirts, coffee mugs, gift certificates, season tickets to the OSU theater and many other items.  This is also a great opportunity to meet your fellow Liberal Arts peers, your faculty and to say hi to the CLA advising staff!

Finally, have fun! CONNECT week is your first taste of OSU and all it has to offer to you.  Explore new clubs, greek life, attend a football game, buy something orange to wear and figure out what it means to you to be a BEAVER!