Top Ten Priorities for Incoming Students in the Professional Masters Program

1. Attend our Microbiology-Immunology Professional Masters Student Orientation. This will be held in August, likely the week before classes start. This will provide a great overview of everything that you need to get started in our program and provide a forum to allow you to network with fellow students and faculty.
2. Consider establishing Colorado Residency. If you are a United States citizen and are not a Colorado resident, you may wish to begin to establish residency in Colorado. Why is this so important? The process of acquiring CO residency requires extensive documentation, and much of the paperwork must be completed a full year before the beginning of classes during any semester in which the student is to be classified as a resident. There may be a benefit for you to do this if you plan to continue your education in Colorado beyond our one year professional masters program. For more detailed information about the filing of a petition for CO residency, refer to the CSU Student Financial Services Petition Process or consider attending a CSU Student Financial Services Residency Workshop, held Tuesdays at 3pm.
3. Contact the Microbiology-Immunology Professional Masters Program Director with any questions. There are no stupid questions and we are here to help.
4. Establish a CSU electronic identity (eID) to use the University's electronic resources and email; also, pick up your student identification card at the CSU RamCard Office located in the Lory Student Center.
5. Register for classes (as per the advice of the Program Director or designee). Class schedule information is available on-line to students and provides registration procedures and courses to be offered during a given term. Students may access electronic class schedules through CSU RamWeb or the CSU Registrar's Office.
6. Make housing arrangements, and update your address with the University at CSU RabWeb. A good way to start is by visiting the CSU Housing and Dining Services website, or by visiting Off-Campus Student Services at the Lory Student Center.
7. Visit the CSU Health Network to complete a health history form and to provide them with your immunization records. In addition, all new, full-fee-paying resident-instruction graduate students are required to enroll in the CSU Student Health Insurance Plan or to opt out by demonstrating comparable health insurance coverage.
8. Buy a parking permit from CSU University Parking Services and/or register your bicycle with the Colorado State University Police Department.
9. Pick up a copy of the Student Handbook and Planner at the Lory Student Center Information Desk. This will help you to keep track of your many different activities, responsibilities, and deadlines in graduate school (teaching, classes of your own, research, etc).
10. Expect your life to become more hectic than you have ever imagined, and combat this by learning to organize your time efficiently NOW (see tip #9)! But most importantly, enjoy the intellectual adventure that you have already begun!