Steps for Success: Before Classes Start
1. Review Preview Content
The Preview Workbook is a take-home, information-filled resource for each new Gator. Look through the Workbook to learn and review information about UF academics, resources, and student life. There’s also an After Preview Checklist in the Workbook, so be sure to check that out!
In addition to the Preview Workbook, new Gators often take home notes, Prep Sheets, and other handouts. Revisit these as well; you may have written down an action item or date that is important to you!
The biggest advice I would give to students after Preview is to seek all the resources that were provided during Preview. Don't be afraid to ask questions and put yourself out there.
- Tatiana Ronelus, rising Sophomore
Check the "To do after Preview" checklist in your Preview Workbook. That's where your Preview Advisor has jotted down items you'll want to follow up on later. Also check your UF email – just in case your Preview Advisor reaches out to you after Preview.
- Holly Raynard, Senior Lecturer & Undergraduate Coordinator Center for European Studies
2. Monitor Your UF Account
Your ONE.UF account will show you financial information as well as academic information, such as your class schedule. That schedule includes a map view, and it also has links to any course materials, such as textbooks, required for your registered classes. You can map out your campus routes and purchase your textbooks before your classes start.
New Gators can also customize their GatorMail inbox settings and account. You can make an email signature, start developing an inbox organization strategy (such as color-coded categories or making folders), and familiarize yourself with what is now your primary channel of communication with instructors and school administrators.
Get used to checking your Gatormail account regularly. This is how everything related to UF will be communicated to you from now on. It is also how you should communicate with us. Emails from non-UF accounts are in danger of going into spam mailboxes.
- Lynne Clark (she/her), Associate Instructional Professor, English Language Institute
3. Finalize Your Schedule
During Preview, you registered for classes – so you’re all set! But, you may have received new placement information, changed your mind about which major to pursue, or realized that you have some lingering questions that you want to ask an advisor. If any of these situations apply to you, no worries! You can submit a request to adjust your schedule or connect with an advisor through the Schedule Adjust page.
For any schedule adjustment, such as choosing a different elective course or opting into a different time/day for a lab, incoming students can use the Schedule Adjustment period. During this time, you can log into your ONE.UF account online and Add, Drop, or Swap your coursework. We recommend using Swap anytime you want to replace one course on your schedule with another course or time. This way, you won’t need to Drop and potentially lose your seat in the course you already have.
Schedule Adjust dates for 2025 will be posted at the start of Preview.
Report all incoming grades and test scores as soon as you receive them. If a grade or test score causes you to want to, or need to, change your registration, follow the instructions in your Preview Workbook, and reach out to your Preview Advisor through email if you have any questions. Preview Advisors will continue to be available to assist you throughout your first year.
- Dr. Darragh Devine, Professor, Psychology
