Idaho Sneak Peek | April 26
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Your To-Do List
Soon, you'll be packing your belongings and heading to your new home at the University of Idaho. To help you make the most of the few short months between now and then, we’ve provided this checklist of important things to do before you arrive on campus. Click the list items below to learn more about each of your to-dos. And check back frequently for new additions to the list.
1. Set up your Vandal accounts. ▼
Be sure to check your VandalWeb and VandalMail accounts frequently to make sure you don't miss important information.
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2. Connect with your advisor and register for classes. ▼
As a new Vandal, you’ve got a whole world of fascinating ideas available to you, and we recognize you’ll need some guidance on what courses to choose – especially as you’re getting started. Over the course of your Vandal career, your academic advisor will help you understand the general core requirements, balance your course load, and make personal and professional connections within the Vandal community.
As you're thinking about your first semester, please consult the How to Register page for detailed instructions on how to prepare for your initial advising conversation. Once you’ve got all your documents ready (e.g. ACT/SAT scores, a few interesting ISEM courses to take, and the appropriate math and English courses), please use the advisor finder tool to connect with the advising contact in your department. If you’ve decided to change your major or are unsure what major you indicated on your application for admission, please call the Admissions Office at 208-885-6326.
Enroll in Focus on Success: Freshman Transition
There’s still space in this one-credit, eight-week course, listed in the catalog as INTR 204, sections 3, 4, 5. Meet in small class settings led by peer facilitators to learn more about time management, academic success skills, student organizations, and student support programs.
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3. Sign up for New Student Orientation. ▼
(No need to register if you already signed up for sorority or fraternity recruitment, which includes New Student Orientation).
New Student Orientation, August 16-19, is your opportunity to get acquainted with campus, meet new friends, and learn vital information about campus life and student activities. You must sign up in advance, using our online form.
There is also Parent Orientation for Vandal Parents and Guardians. You can sign your parent(s) up for Parent Orientation when you sign up for your New Student Orientation.
International Students sign up for International Student Orientation only.
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4. Confirm your on-campus living plans. ▼
All new students are required to live on campus, as on-campus living is proven to help you succeed. So, if you haven’t already, check out the many great on-campus living options on our beautiful residential campus. Choose from our residence halls, Greek houses, or the women’s co-op, Steel House.
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5. Note important financial dates. ▼
Be aware of these important dates and deadlines:
Mid-July – You will receive your University bill that includes charges for tuition & fees, residence hall & meal plan charges for on-campus housing and health insurance. Note: health insurance may be waived if you are covered under another policy. Financial aid and scholarship awards that have been accepted on VandalWeb will be included if you are enrolled half-time (6 credits undergraduate/5 credits graduate) for Stafford loans and full-time (12 credits undergraduate/9 credits graduate) for scholarships and grants. If you have a student loan, complete the master promissory note and entrance counseling online.
August 14 – Be sure to authorize direct deposit on VandalWeb by this date so that the earliest disbursement of financial aid residual funds can be deposited into your checking or savings account. Financial aid awards are first applied to university charges. Residual funds are then released to students for books, living expenses, etc.
August 17 – Residual funds will be deposited into your bank on or near this estimated date. Watch your VandalMail for a notice from Student Accounts to let you know the status of your residual funds.
August 20 (first day of classes) – All semester tuition, fees, residence hall & meal plan charges for on-campus housing, and health insurance must be paid at the Student Accounts Office, on VandalWeb, or through the mail. Monthly payment plans are available through Student Accounts.
August 31 – Financial aid will be adjusted at 5PM to reflect the number of credits for which you are enrolled. Loans require half-time enrollment (6 credits). Most scholarships, work study, Perkins, and SEOG require full-time enrollment (12 credits).
6. Plan your travel and family lodging. ▼
If you’re driving to campus, plan your route to and around campus. Directions and maps are available. Spokane International Airport, a 1.5-hour drive from Moscow, is the closest major airport (shuttle service is available). Regional airports include the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport and Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport. Greyhound and Northwestern Trailways both provide bus service to Moscow.
Make hotel reservations for your family for the start of school. Accommodations fill up fast!
7. Send all final, official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. ▼
First Year Students: Place an early request with your high school to mail us a transcript after graduation. We will need a final transcript showing your graduation date.
Transfers: If you have finished all of your classes at a college or university, be sure we have an official transcript from that school showing all of your classes and final grades. If you are still enrolled in college classes, place an early request with the Registrar’s Office to have a transcript mailed to us once you have completed all of your classes and final grades have been posted.
Send transcripts to:
Office of Admissions
University of Idaho
PO Box 444264
Moscow, ID 83844-4264
8. Join the Common Read. ▼
All University of Idaho freshmen will read the same book in preparation for the fall semester. Transfer students are also encouraged to participate. The book will be announced in the next couple of weeks. You can order the book at the VandalStore or purchase it in your home town.
The Common Read program is designed to help students prepare intellectually and academically for their first semester at the University of Idaho. This coming fall, themes and ideas from the book will be used in orientation events, civic engagement activities, classes across a variety of disciplines, and campus speaker events.
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9. Get your Vandal Card. ▼
If you are close to campus or visiting over the summer, get your Vandal card to avoid lines when you arrive in August. Your Vandal Card serves as your student ID, meal card, Student Rec Center and athletic event pass, library card, residence hall building key, and can be used like a university debit card. The Vandal Card Office is located on the first floor of the Student Union Building and is open from 7:30 am - 4:00 pm during the summer.
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10. Prepare your computer. ▼
Planning on bringing your own computer to campus? Have a PDA or Smart Phone? Information Technology Services (ITS) has recommendations to help you prepare for technology use on campus. The best part - these items can be accomplished even before you arrive at U-Idaho.
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11. Pre-order your textbooks. ▼
Skip the lines. Pre-order your books online by July 31 from the VandalStore and have them waiting for you when you arrive on campus. Your books will be ready to pick up August 15 at the VandalStore on Deakin Street in Moscow.
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12. Start packing - What to bring (and what to leave at home). ▼
In addition to your personal and room items, be sure to bring your own office and school supplies. If you don’t have a computer, remember all students have free access to the 15+ computer labs on campus.
Pets (except fish) are not allowed in the residence halls. Halogen lamps and cooking equipment, other than microwaves (limited to 800 watts), also are not allowed in the residence halls. Microwave/refrigerator combination units are provided in all residence hall rooms.