UNH Tips for Commuter Success

Taking the Initiative Before Classes Begin

• Take a tour of campus. The Office of Admissions offers campus tours numerous times throughout the day. For more information, call Admissions at 603-862-1360 or on-line at www.unh.edu/admissions.
• Run through your schedule. Check out MyUNH http://blackboard.unh.edu) to see if any of your classrooms have been changed and then find all the buildings and classrooms.
• Do a practice run. To really get the feel for your commute, practice it from start to finish, including leaving home, accounting for traffic, and finding a parking space.
• Rent a locker. You can rent a locker at the Memorial Union Building (MUB) for the semester or for the academic year. Go to the Info Desk on the top floor of the MUB to rent yours.
• Attend Commuter and Transfer Survival Day. This event will be held Thursday, August 25th, features fun, information, lunch, and activities for new students to learn about life at UNH and meet other new students. www.unhmub.com/off-campus

Making Connections by Getting Involved

• Work on or campus. Cut down on commute time, find a home on campus, and earn money all at the same time. Visit the UNH On-Line Classified Ads (www.unh.edu/ads/unhview.html) and also, the UNH Student Employment Resources site at http://www.unh.edu/Campus/employ/student.
• Clubs and organizations. Find the listing of all registered student organizations and contact information at www.unh.edu/involvement or visit the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership in MUB room 122.
• Community Service and Service Learning. Discover the many opportunities to learn while serving your community by visiting the Office of Community Service and Learning in the basement of Hitchcock Hall or on-line at www.unh.edu/serve.
• Sports and Recreation. All kinds of recreation activities, work out facilities, and intramurals are available through Campus Recreation, located at the Hamel Recreation Center (connected to the Whittemore Center). Check them out at http://campusrec.unh.edu.
• Granite Square Station Mailbox. Yes, even living off campus, you have a mailbox at Granite Square Station, on the 2nd floor of the MUB. Make sure you pick up your key!
• UNH E-Mail Address. As a student at UNH, you have a UNH e-mail address! Go to studentemail.unh.edu to get started.
• Commuter Student Services ListServ – The Commuter Connection. Commuter Student Services sends weekly messages about events, activities, and programs occurring on campus, along with other handy commuter information. Make sure you sign up at the beginning of the semester! Go to www.unhmub.com/off-campus to sign up.
• Academic Departments. For everything from exploring majors and careers, to working with faculty members on research projects, get to know faculty and staff in your academic department.
• Attend the Student Activities Fair. Coming to Thompson Hall Lawn on Tuesday, September 13th, this involvement fair highlights student organizations and other ways to get involved on campus, plus free food and entertainment!
• Attend Juke Box. A fun-filled evening of free activities, free performances, free food, and free stuff! Check out this great night on Saturday, August 27th all over the MUB.
• SIC’em! The Student Involvement Card (SIC’em) is a great way to be rewarded for attending campus programs! Look for programs advertised with the SIC’em logo, get your card punched, turn it in and get put into a raffle for some awesome prizes at the end of the semester. There is no limit for the amount of cards you turn in per semester - so go out and get involved! (www.unhmub.com/sicem)

Insider’s Tips

• Buying Books. Have your course numbers and sections with you to help find the right books. Shop early or online, before classes begin, to avoid lines. Once you have your books, do not write in them and save your receipts until after you’ve been to the class and you are sure they are the right ones.
• Call Ahead. Whether from home or from a campus phone, call before making the trek to an office or department.
• Document things and keep a file. Record the names of people who answer your questions, as well as the date and what they said. Keep these in a file with other university information, such as bills, grade reports, library receipts, etc.
• Give a friend/partner/parent a copy of your schedule. Be sure someone knows where you are in case of an emergency.
• Challenge your assumptions. Despite how familiar you may feel with this university or college in general, it is important to check out how things actually work and where resources you may need are located.

- Written by Commuter Services, UNH, MUB
http://unhmub.com/off_campus/