Four Simple Ways to Be Successful at the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida is a large, intimidating school for many. Here are four things to do to ensure you will have a smoother transition into university life.

Get to know your way around USF

One of the most important things to know about USF is that it is imperative to be accustomed to your surroundings. It's easy to get lost, especially when someone fires off a list of 3-letter buildings that are scattered on all different areas of the sprawling Tampa campus. Do yourself a favor and ambulate the campus, taking notice of the buildings names and preferably what they're next to so if you forget an exact location, you can remember, at least vaguely, what it is near. This way, you'll never be late to a class because you don't know where it is.

Buy your books and parking pass early

This will save you the most hassle. Once you know exactly what books you will need, start looking on Amazon and half.com for them. This will save you countless time and a whole lot of money as opposed to scouting out your books from USF's book store. I bought a $180 Organic Chemistry book off of half.com for only $60! Buying early will also ensure you're not stuck in a class without a book because the bookstore sold out. The same goes for parking passes. While these expensive little window decals can't be bought from a third party at a cheaper price, they're absolutely necessary. Once you know the best places to park (and you will after you follow #1), you'll need a parking pass to put your car there and not be charged $30 every time you do it. As the state doesn't pay for parking garages, USF uses the money they get from parking fines to finance them - needless to say, they're pretty strict about their parking. Buy your pass early and online to avoid lines and needing to catch a ride from a friend if you're stuck without one.

Get acquainted with Blackboard

If you're a first year student, you will hear from countless freshman-class professors about the importance of knowing how to use Blackboard. As annoying as it gets, what they're telling you is true - especially if you choose to ever take an online class. Your grades, discussion boards, and ability to contact others in your class if you've forgotten notes or have no clue when the next test is all lies under the domain of the website. It is relatively easy once you get started using it, but some students refuse to learn and end up doing themselves a major disservice.

Learn to navigate Oasis

USF has one of the most confusing websites EVER in my opinion, and OASIS (Online Access Student Information System) is especially rough when you're just starting. But, like Blackboard, OASIS has a massive amount of information imperative for students to know. You register for classes, pay your deposits, view your financial aid all through this website. There are free classes on navigating through this, so if you are unable to figure out what to do, definitely look into them!

There are countless guides out there to doing well your first year of college, so I won't belabor those ideas with more pointless writing. These four tips, however, will ensure you're acquainted enough with USF that you won't find yourself freaking out when it comes to the important things!