Year One Newsletter
Year One Newsletter arrives to your inbox regularly during your first year to help you navigate being New to UB.
On this page:
Tips for Success
Current students offer their top tips to find success at UB.
- Figuring out how to manage your time will ensure your success in and out of the classroom. Be sure to make time for yourself in addition to classes, friends, family, and work. OL James and OL Lolina recommend using an electronic calendar or physical planner (like the one you can get in 112 Student Union!) to help you plan your time in advance and keep track of your responsibilities and assignments.
- The academic adjustment to UB can be daunting, but there are many ways to find success! OL Tanou and OL Maddi recommend communicating and building relationships with your faculty early in the semester and utilizing on-campus resources. UB offers many great resources, including academic advisors, teaching assistants (TAs), Tutoring and Academic Support Services (TASS), and engineering small groups.
- Utilizing your campus resources will allow you to reach your goals and enjoy your college experience as much as possible. OL Tanou and OL Maddi recommend visiting office hours if you are struggling with anything in your classes, connecting with Counseling Services to maintain your mental health (for free!), and making an appointment with your academic advisor to talk about your major, classes, and other academic questions.
- Be open to navigating challenges and finding new ways to solve problems. College can bring many new opportunities and obstacles. If you encounter a challenge, OL Anais and OL Savannah recommend knowing your own boundaries, communicating concerns to the people involved, planning ahead when possible, and asking questions if you are feeling stuck!
- The best way to manage the stress of midterms and final exams is to have a plan for studying and ask for help along the way. OL James and OL Winston recommend putting your exam dates in your calendar with reminders a week in advance, getting help from friends and instructors, and making sure you are taking good notes throughout the semester so that you remember important class material. OL Joanne offers her favorite notetaking tip to annotate textbooks to enhance your understanding of diagrams, concepts, and questions you are studying!
Build Connections
Current students offer their strategies for how to build connections and community when you are New to UB!
- Talk to the person next to you in class! OL Pooja and OL Winston recommend chatting with a classmate and inviting them to grab food, attend an on-campus event, or hang out in your living space to get to know them outside of the classroom.
- Check out UBLinked to learn about campus clubs and events. OL Zoha and OL Savannah recommend UBLinked as a helpful resource to find out what is happening around campus and to meet new people who are similar (or different!) to you. OL Pooja also recommends using UBLinked to find people and clubs whose interests align with yours.
- Connect your academic experiences with involvement outside of class. If you are excited about exploring academic opportunities, OL Pooja recommends the Experiential Learning Network for a variety of labs and projects that will allow you to build relationships with students and faculty who share your academic interests.
- Recharge yourself with friends, family, and self-care. OL James and OL Winston recommend calling your friends and family or organizing digital hangouts to keep connected and discuss your experiences with meeting new people at UB. OL Lolina also recommends making plans to chat with family who might be far away and exercising as ways to destress!
- Know that you might not find a community at UB right away—and that is okay! OL James and OL Pooja know that it can be a struggle at first and recommend being open to trying new things throughout your time as a UB student to gradually expand your community.
It is different, a little weird, and definitely possible to build connections. Know that you don’t need to have your entire social scene figured out in the first month.
Put yourself out there and take a risk, and be open-minded if others do the same.
Need Help?
Helping new students transition to life at UB:
Orientation, Transition and Parent Programs
Student Life
University at Buffalo
112 Student Union, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: (716) 645-6125