Top 20 Tips for New Students
20. If you're looking for a job, think about working on-campus. You can check out job opportunities at the Part-time Jobs Fair hosted by the Career Center. Students who work 20 hours a week perform better academically. So why not work on campus, make connections with faculty and administrators, learn some great career skills, and earn extra money?
19. Cheer on the Seminoles at any number of athletic events. Our student athletes are incredible and we should all support them. Like our FSU Soccer team who are the 2018 National Champions. Or the men's and women's basketball teams who have made NCAA Tournament appearances for the last three years. Or our conference champions like Beach Volleyball, Softball, Men's Indoor Track and Field, and Women's Outdoor Track and Field. Each home football game, attend the free Taggart's Tailgate located near the Heritage Fountain at the stadium for free food and entertainment before the game starts.
18. Get to know Ms. Killings. Ms. Killings is always there to greet you when you walk in Suwanee Dining Hall. When you're having a tough day it's always nice to hear "I love you, Baby" before you enjoy an all you care to eat buffet.
17. Get a Global Experience. Our world is more connected than ever and to be successful in your future careers, you need a global perspective. Be sure to check out The Globe's Coffee Hour – Every Friday at 5pm at the Globe. You'll get to mix and mingle with students and faculty from all over the world.
16. Get to know your new home city, Tallahassee. There are some great local restaurants, beautiful parks, and arts and entertainment that you can enjoy.
15. Sit in the front row when you go to class, participate in class discussions, and visit your professor during their office hours. Your faculty are here to help you learn, but you need to take the initiative.
14. Follow President Thrasher on Twitter @FSUPresThrasher and you might even see yourself there! He loves taking selfies with students!
13. Participate in the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society and wear your medallion at graduation.
12. Go see a movie at the Student Life Cinema in Askew. It's free with your FSU Card. You can also participate in gaming while you're there or relax in the lounge area.
11. Go to the Rez, FSU's lakefront property! Rent a canoe, kayak, or paddle board. Try out the high ropes course, play volleyball, or enjoy some quiet time on the beach.
10. Go to the President's Ice Cream Social. Make sure you get in the President and First Lady's line, they always give the biggest scoops!
9. Join us at the greatest Homecoming in Florida! Come to all the Homecoming events such as Pow Wow, the Parade, and Spear-it Night!
8. Listen to the "band that never lost a halftime". Watch the Marching Chiefs as they march around campus the night before a big football game and prepare to join your fellow students in the stands on game day.
7. Take care of yourself! Our motto is Live Well! Find programs and ways to practice holistic wellness. Work out at the Leach Center. Attend a program hosted by the Center for Health Advocacy and Wellness (CHAW) on healthy behaviors. Seek out support when needed.
6. Go to Market Wednesday! It's held every Wednesday near Moore Auditorium and HCB!
5. Serve and give back to the community and the University through student organizations, service events and programs, and donations.
4. Take a social media break. Walk around our beautiful campus and see the green space. Take a walk around the labyrinth near the Medical School and meet some new people.
3. Get Involved! We have over 700 student organizations and hundreds of programs of programs and initiatives to get involved with. Go to the Involvement Fair to find something you're interested in joining. The Involvement Fair will be held Tuesday, August 27 at the Tully Gym.
2. During your senior year be sure to order your class ring and receive it from the President at the Ring Ceremony. Also attend the Senior Toast before graduation.
1. Graduate in 4 years from Florida State University and know that you're joining over 300,000 dedicated alumni. Even after graduation, there are many ways that you can stay involved with Florida State University as alumni.
Live Well FSU
Services, programs and initiatives under Health, Wellness & Safety promote balanced lifestyles and student success through the nine dimensions of holistic wellness.
- Creative Wellness
- Emotional Wellness
- Environmental Wellness
- Financial Wellness
- Intellectual Wellness
- Occupational Wellness
- Physical Wellness
- Social Wellness
- Spiritual Wellness
Florida State to Launch Collegiate Recovery Program Thanks to Forward-Thinking Donors
Ensuring students can receive the assistance they need to recover from substance abuse and to live in recovery is a new reality at Florida State University, thanks to the generosity of two recent donors.
Dr. Gilbert Chandler and his wife Debra Chandler have committed $25,000 to launch a new recovery program at Florida State University designed to serve the student population who are recognized as in recovery from alcohol and other substance use.
When speaking about the inspiration behind the couple's gift, Dr. Chandler emphasized that a student's time in college should be one of academic exploration, establishing new relationships and partaking in the extracurricular activities that develop into passions. "Unfortunately, with the current opioid epidemic, rising stimulant misuse and binge drinking, young adults are more likely than ever to make decisions that could lead to a lifetime of consequences," he stated.
With deep-rooted lineage at Florida State, combined with motivation from both personal experience and professional practice, the Chandlers saw an opportunity to ensure FSU prioritized support for students seeking recovery while accomplishing their educational goals.
In line with the University's new strategic plan, the Chandlers' gift will kick-start efforts to develop a community of students who can belong safely among allies and peers. Additional objectives include creating infrastructure for enhanced clinical and support services as well as designated substance-free programming tailored for students to not only thrive but enjoy their FSU experience while not compromising their recovery.
"The hope is to create a campus culture where a student does not have to choose between sustaining their recovery and being a part of the FSU community," expressed Florida State University Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Angela L. Chong, J.D.
As the lead for the Division of Student Affairs' health and wellness portfolio, which is comprised of campus recreation, dean of students, University counseling center and health services departments, Ms. Chong views wellness as a foundation of student success. "Enhancing wellness programs and services [such as a recovery program] advocates for students to display self-help seeking behaviors and develop skills for self-advocacy and care. Not only do these habits help students succeed while in college but are necessary for their futures."
The Chandlers are enthusiastic about the impact the recovery program will create for not only generations of Seminoles, but also communities and the nation as a whole. "We all know someone personally, an acquaintance or friend, affected by the disease of addiction. It is our hope this gift will inspire others to become involved as we seek to change how we address and treat it," Dr. Chandler said.
To see how you can support the recovery program and additional Florida State University Division of Student Affairs initiatives, visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact the development team at (850) 644-5590.
Welcome FSU
This fall will mark the first year of Welcome FSU, a new and exciting university-wide initiative focused on providing student engagement opportunities and connecting our community with our campus partners from Student Affairs, Academics, Athletics and Alumni Relations.
New programs include a Pep Rally: New Nole Welcome at Doak, Transfer Leadership Institute, Nole Serve (Community Ambassadors service program) and a Traditions Fest on Landis the Sunday before classes begin. The Last Call Before Fall Concert and Convocation continue to be important cornerstones of our welcome programming.
Welcome FSU was designed utilizing the successful templates of CARE Summer Bridge and Seminole Sensation Week to create an intentional experience for students. Building on existing traditions and events, Welcome FSU aligns the residential student move-in process with an introduction to community spaces, services and resources.
We will continue to program alongside Summer Bridge and other special population orientations to provide support. Below are some photos highlighting two of the major events including: Rez Days and Involvement Fair.
Welcome FSU launched during the first week of classes of Summer C 2019 and will occur three times a year aligning with residential move-in process.
We invite you to help us welcome members into our university community! You can be a part of our welcome campaign by sharing messages through your social media and including the hashtag #WelcomeFSU. We encourage you to get involved with these new members of our community through the variety of alumni programs. If you know someone who is attending FSU this year, please let us know and help us get them connected. Thank you!
Welcome New 'Noles!
Florida State University is welcoming the Class of 2023 to campus this summer/fall, the largest first-year class in the history of FSU! We received a total of 60,555 applications for first-year students, which is a 46% increase from 2016 and a 19% increase compared to 2018, which was an all-time high! The in-state acceptance rate for applicants was 17% with all 67 counties in Florida represented.
We are expected to enroll the largest first-year class in the history of FSU in Fall 2019, with 6,800-7,000 students expected on the Tallahassee campus. An additional 238 students will begin their FSU journey on one of four student centers abroad. The average grade point average for the Class of 2023 is a 4.2 out of high school with an average SAT of 1310 and ACT of 29! We are proud of these students' academic accomplishments prior to their arrival at Florida State University and look forward to all they will accomplish on campus.
The Class of 2023 is a diverse group of students comprised of 60% women and 40% men. 40% percent of admitted students reported a race/ethnicity of non-White. 20% percent of admitted students utilized an application fee waiver and FSU saw a 21% increase in admitted Pell eligible students.
Summer C students began classes at FSU on June 24 and have been actively participating in classes, health and wellness programs, student groups, student organizations, and engagement opportunities on campus. We look forward to welcoming the rest of the Class of 2023 during Welcome FSU — August 22 – 27, 2019 with Fall classes officially kicking off on August 26. Welcome New 'Noles!
New Union Coming Fall 2020
A little over a year ago, the occupants of the Oglesby Union complex sorted out their workplaces, packed up their offices, and relocated to temporary spaces to ride out the construction of a new and improved FSU union.
Demolition began with the systematic dismantling of the original union buildings starting with Crenshaw Lanes and not stopping until all that remained was the Davis building for food and ballrooms, Moore Auditorium for events and the west section of Turner to provide egress and temporary office space. Ultimately, Davis and the remaining portion of Turner will come down leaving Moore Auditorium to operate, as an independent union facility alongside the new union that is to come on line in the late fall of 2020. Construction is underway as two tower cranes are in operation and literal tons of dirt were removed and hauled off-site to make way for the new structure. The subbasement dewatering system rock drains, a mud slab, concrete pile caps, and grade beams are in place and the concrete foundations and basement wall work continues.
The Union serves students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests by offering a wide variety of programs, activities, services, and facilities that, when taken together, represent a well-considered plan for the community life at the FSU. The Union is a learning lab for students to develop skills and competencies through volunteer leadership and student employment experiences. The Oglesby Union and Activities staff continue this work in alternative locations on and off campus while they wait for the new facility.
The new facility will highlight campus life to perspective students, dignitaries, and university guests and support community building and student engagement. The Union makes the university a more human place; gives a common space where students and faculty can develop relationships outside of the classroom; promotes leisure activities and enrichment that enhances the collegiate experience; and gives the students an opportunity to manage their own affairs.
Students have asked for more food service options, additional seating areas, and casual gathering spaces to meet between classes, improved aesthetics, more user-friendly furniture, retail and service options and additional space for student organizations. The new Union will provide a student-focused environment with an undeniable connection to the FSU brand. The plan for the project is to incorporate all of these ideas, create diverse and inclusive spaces and provide the FSU community with an outstanding facility that will serve them for many years to come.
For the most up to date images and information, please consult the new union website at union.fsu.edu/new-union.
CARE leads to Student Success
FSU's Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement (CARE) is designed to recruit, prepare, and support targeted first-generation college students for successful adaptation and academic success at the undergraduate level. For the 2018-19 academic year, CARE continued to have a successful year of engaging our community of scholars. The Summer Bridge Program welcomed over 400 first-generation, low-income students to the campus, providing transition services to assist them with getting ready for a successful FSU career while propelling them toward a legacy of education for their families. Students took part in activities to get them acquainted with campus, enrolled in classes giving them a head start on their coursework, and built friendships that will last a lifetime. CARE's Unconquered Scholars Program is designed to support students who were formerly homeless, foster care, wards of the state, or raised by a non-parent relative. This year, the Unconquered Scholars Suite located in the Thagard Building was redesigned as a campus-family room that feels more like home. The space is a comfortable place for scholars to connect with each other, study, or have a meal. Unconquered Scholars witnessed 97% of their students achieving satisfactory academic progress over the year.
CARE academic support systems continued to work to prepare our students for college and post-graduation success. The CARE Tutoring & Computer Lab witnessed over 136,000 student visits using tutoring, study room, and computer lab resources. CARE expanded its computer lab to support all FSU students, adding over 60 new computer systems. Advising and financial literacy services held over 6,500 student appointments. These efforts led to a first-year retention rate of 95% for CARE, higher than the FSU overall first-year retention rate. CARE College Life Coaching connected with 4,008 student meetings this past year, which resulted in a 95% retention rate for participants from their second to third year at FSU.
The FSU Fraternal Experience — Moving Forward Together
For the past two years, we have talked immensely about "Moving Forward Together" as we strive to create the model fraternal experience at Florida State University. We are proud of the success we have seen over the past 20 months as we worked through our most challenging days as a community.
Here are a few highlights:
- Expanded professional staff
- Increased funding, oversight, and communication
- For the 17th consecutive semester, the all-Greek GPA is higher than the non-affiliated average
- Almost 43% of our members have a GPA above a 3.5
- We educated 92% of our community, with 5,653 unique attendees, in risk management topics
- We had 4,900 unique attendees at FSL sponsored events this academic year
- The FSL staff held over 350 chapter coach meetings
- 3 of our councils added new chapters this academic year
- The community raised over $1 million dollars for philanthropic and charitable causes
- There were no chapter closures this academic year
We encourage you to visit the Fraternity and Sorority website (ofsl.union.fsu.edu) to review the annual report that will provide a full overview of our community.
Division of Students Affairs Responds to Hurricane Dorian
The Division of Students Affairs has a robust hurricane plan, which is activated any time there are possible effects from storms on our regional campuses. This past week, Florida State University prepared for potential impacts from Hurricane Dorian, and while FSU did not have any direct impact on our main campus, we have been actively working with students from the Bahamas, south and central Florida and other regions which have been directly impacted to provide support. As we learn more about the needs of these areas, we will continue to offer our support and resources to our students.
