Preparing For Your First Class (at UNBC)

The beginning of a new school year is an exhilarating and sometimes overwhelming time.

The beginning of a new school year is an exhilarating and sometimes overwhelming time. You will register for classes, buy textbooks and supplies, find new classrooms, meet new people, maybe explore a new city…and attend your first post-secondary class! Here are some of our favourite tips for successfully navigating your first university/college class.

Preparing for your first class (at UNBC):

• Supplies. Be it a notebook and pen (or pencil), a tablet, or a laptop, be prepared to jot down, or type important information.
• Textbooks. Visit the UNBC Bookstore and pick up your copy of the required text(s) for your course! You will be assigned readings, and your assignments and exams will reflect textbook content.
• Syllabus. You will receive a syllabus (course outline) in your first class. Keep it safe. The information on this paper is invaluable: course details, instructor contacts, textbook and recommended resource lists, and your reading, assignment, and exam schedules.
• Coffee and bathrooms. Get a lay of the land. Know where the closest bathrooms are, where you can go to grab a snack, and the quickest route to coffee or tea!
• Walk through the door. The first class, the first time, on the first day isn’t always easy. Take a breath, walk through the door, and embark on a new adventure.
• Bonus (universal) tip: Student ID. Your student ID is an invaluable resource. You must pay tuition and fees to get it (another to-do list item: check!), it allows access to printing and photocopying, is your ticket to public transit and off-campus services (the bus system and city swimming pools are included in your student fees), is your key to signing out library books, and it has your student number printed on it – a long and difficult-to-remember number important for assignments, exams, and much more.

If you are thinking about attending UNBC in the fall, there is still time to apply. Visit us online and submit your application today!

For more information, please visit our website at unbc4u.unbc.ca or email us at unbc4u@unbc.ca.