Let's get started!

Good afternoon!

Well, it's July...and that means classes begin next month. You've filled out your FAFSA, registered for classes, and dropped hints to your parents about needing a laptop. You're ready right? Not quite. The first week of classes is really challenging for most students - even returning students struggle.

Wait...why? Shouldn't this be the easy part? There's not even homework yet!

True, you won't have much formal "homework" during the first week. However there is PLENTY of work to be done. There are seemingly endless lists of tasks to do, all of them minor and easy to blow off...all of them essential to your success.

Start now, and keep your first week sanity.

Why should you care so much about the first week? It's simple. If you complete the first week in rock star fashion, you are more likely to show up for the second week, then the third...then you complete the class... the semester.... the year....and guess what?

GRADUATION!

Imagine your first day of class.

You've only been to campus once but you're pretty sure you've got this. You pull into the parking lot...no spots. You finally find one on the other side of campus, but now you are all turned around and can't find Lewis Hall....or was it Looft? You pull out your phone to look up your schedule but the internet is PAINFULLY slow. Finally it loads.... "ASHLEY HALL...I knew it"!

You get to class 3 minutes late and slip into a seat in the back. The instructor just said ROC, FERPA, and held up the book for roughly half a second. You are so lost right now. You start making a list of the stuff you need to get (including that orange?...red?...book)...but when are you going to get this stuff? You have to work tonight. Finally class is over. Your instructor says "Read chapter 1, watch the video linked on the ROC course page, and be ready for a quiz on Wednesday." You leave class with a mile-long to do list and only 48 hours to accomplish it. You are overwhelmed and you wonder "should I even be here?".

There is discomfort at the beginning of any new journey, but almost all of the stressful components of that morning could have been avoided. Preparation for the first week of class can save you time and money, but most importantly it can reduce your stress and increase your confidence. Confidence is built on small victories. If you are prepared for day one you will leave class excited and in control. If you are not prepared you are likely to feel pretty despondent about your academic future.

TO DO LIST :

• Get your parking pass and student ID card ASAP.  Those lines are long during first week of class!
• Double check your class schedule. Don't take Comp 1 at 7:30am "because it will make me get out of bed".  It won't.  If you are a night owl you will end up skipping that class or oversleeping. There are no points awarded for most uncomfortable schedule - take it at 11. If you need help you can email me at krichter@iwcc.edu.
• Take a screenshot of your schedule so it is handy on your phone.  You don't want to be wandering around campus on the first day of class trying to remember passwords and signing in to campus wifi when your class started 15 minutes ago.
• Get your books.  Yes you need them.  If you choose to not buy the book you are choosing to do poorly in class.  You can find out which books you need at http://www.iwcccollegestore.com and then you can either purchase/rent them there or comparison shop at your favorite online retailer.  
• You will need a few additional supplies - pens, a notebook, a flash drive/external hard drive (8GB minimum), headphones, a 1/4 inch jack adapter.  
• PRO TIP - Anyone with a ".edu" email address gets Amazon Prime FREE for 6 months!
• Log in to ROC and look around, there were updates over the summer so even returning students should take a few minutes to familiarize themselves with the platform.
• Follow the Media Studies Facebook and Twitter pages

If you spend a little time this summer preparing for the first week of class you will be able to hit the ground running on August 21st.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  I am here to help!

-Kaci