Students who attend How to FAU can expect to build greater confidence in their abilities to successfully access and utilize on-campus resources in academic, leadership development, and career readiness areas. Much like New Student Orientation, attendance for How to FAU is required for all first-time, first-year students and recommended for transfer students during their first semester at FAU.
The How to FAU Conference is a required program and attendance is integral to your transition to the University. Students will swipe into the event with their FAU Owl Card and New Student Transitions & Family Engagement will track attendance.
The choice to attend is similar to the decisions you make every day of your undergraduate career—whether to attend class or not, whether to meet with your academic advisor or not, or whether to get involved in student activities.
Paradise Platform 3/4: Student Involvement
Paradise Platform 9 ¾ is the perfect location to stock up on your Wizarding World supplies to set yourself up for success at FAU. This session will help you discover how to get the most out of your FAU experience, especially during your first semester. Our sorting hat will not guide you astray! Whether you want to learn about potions (research), herbology (growing through your FAU experience), or taking flying lessons (joining an organization), we will elaborate and discuss the importance of the classroom experience and co-curricular experiences that you will have an opportunity to explore in this land of Paradise.
Personal Responsibility & Decision-Making
Do you enjoy binge watching Netflix? How about scrolling through Instagram? Personal responsibility and decision-making are critical skills when entering a research university. At this session, incoming students will learn strategies to enhance their skills. Students will also be able to articulate one action item toward personal responsibility to be accomplished this semester.
Academic Support & Services
At this session, incoming students will learn from current student tutors, coaches, and consultants. Incoming students will be able to articulate one resource they will use to assist them in their academic success this semester (e.g.: going to University Center for Excellence in Writing, Math Learning Center, tutoring, faculty office hours, and peer academic coach). Student will also be able to articulate one strategy they will use to assist them in their academic success this semester (e.g.: reading the textbook, breaking down large assignments, developing test questions, using the syllabus, studying with a peer).
Internship Panel
At the Internship Panel, incoming students will learn from current student interns and their experiences, including what resources are available through the Career Center to assist with your internship search. Students will learn how to convey your own career skills and how to translate and transfer those skills to a variety of industries when interviewing.
All days of How to FAU events are required programs and attendance is integral to your transition to the University. Students will swipe into events with their FAU Owl Card and the Office of the Dean of Students will track attendance.
Just like regular class attendance has a positive impact on academic success, attending Student Success Events will enhance your academic experience by helping you get acquainted with FAU and build a sense of community before your first semester starts. How to FAU is the University’s way of ensuring you have a purposeful start to your college journey.
Additionally, if you are a student in an SLS course you will have course requirements that How to FAU activities may fulfill. Instructors will require reflection writings to complete the assignments.
We know that students who attend How to FAU programs have a greater sense of belonging and higher fall & spring GPAs than students who do not have How to FAU opportunities.
We understand that some students may have unavoidable conflicts during How to FAU events and may wish an excuse from some events. If you are in Marching Band or a fall competing varsity sport (Football, Soccer, Volleyball or Men's/Women's Cross Country) you do not need to request an exemption, your schedule is pre-determined based on your practice/competition schedules.
Examples of warranted exemptions include, but are not limited to, medical need, dependent childcare, severe illness, unexpected family emergencies and active military duty. Please contact the Office of the Associate Vice President and Dean of Students if you have an unavoidable conflict at deanofstudents@fau.edu.
Note: Any student granted an exemption will still be required to participate in certain How to FAU activities, including Convocation, and/or other student success outcome related programming.
