Well, it’s that time of year again! Another year is here and gone and in a few months’ time we will be welcoming another round of incoming students. I remember the weeks leading up to when I moved to Sackville, and I’ll admit I was pretty stressed out - I had absolutely no idea what to expect! How much work were the classes going to be? Would I like my roommate? Where was I going to fit in? I won’t lie, moving to university is a big adjustment - but it can also be a great experience if you make the most of it. Here are my four top tips to any incoming students who are just as nervous as I was about moving to MtA: 

I know, I know, MtA puts on so many fun events during Orientation Week, so the one to skip and catch up on sleep should be Academic Orientation, right? Actually, I really recommend going to academic orientation because it is where you get to meet your professors AND the people in your program. Your future self will thank you! It is really helpful to be on friendly terms with the people in your classes because it can help when you have to pick groups for group projects, or if you miss a day, you know who you can get notes from.  

I made this mistake in my first few weeks at Mount A. I thought, why do I need a whole separate email when I already have one? Well, turns out, you actually get a lot of important emails on there! I definitely recommend downloading the Outlook app onto your phone and computer so that you get notified when you get an email- it can be annoying sometimes, but if you aren’t checking it regularly you can miss some super important dates, plus the university and MASU use it to promote all the cool happenings on campus! 

3. Don't rush in to buying new textbooks: 

Seriously. Don’t buy new textbooks right away unless you absolutely have to, because they’ll cost you twice as much as a used book. If you haven’t already, join the Textbooks MtA Facebook group, which is where students post if they are selling old books! Even if the edition is a slightly older one, they typically will still work, depending on the type of class. You can find which books you need for your classes here. However, keep in mind you may have to buy a new book for some classes that require a code to online platforms that the professor uses, so make sure you head over to your first classes to double check before purchasing a used version.