First-Year Plan for Success

1.  Make informed educational decisions, seeking and weighing the factors that affect these decisions

• Meet with an academic advisor, having prepared beforehand
• Identify course prerequisites for the current term
• Run and bring a MyAudit to academic advising meeting
• Develop a course schedule and register for classes at your assigned registration time

2.  Seek and apply in your decision-making credible sources of information regarding university and school requirements, policies, regulations, and procedure

• Use advising.ucmerced.edu and the catalog to identify relevant policies
• Contact an academic advisor when questions arise about policies, regulations, and procedures
• Prioritize the advice of professional and peer advisors over that of untrained peers

3.  Seek and use resources to better understand your academic interests and opportunities

• Visit the Center for Career and Professional Advancement
• Take an introductory course in your intended major
• Attend an introductory workshop to explore majors and career pathways
• Attend an event put on by a student-run academic organization

4.  Seek and use resources to develop the academic skills and resilience needed to succeed at a research university

• Participate in an academic success workshop in-person or online
• Attend tutoring
• Attend the office hours of your TA or professor
• Visit an academic support center (ex. the STEM resource center)
• Take an undergraduate success class (ex. USTU, Service Learning, NSED)

5.  Begin to participate in co-curricular educational opportunities freely available to all students at UC Merced

• Visited UC Merced’s Center for Career and Professional Advancement for a self-assessment
• Attended one of the many workshops offered to students by the Bright Success Center, Residence Life, the Library, Office of Student Life, and your school
• Join a student-run academic organization/club