We are excited that
you have chosen
to join us as a first
year Salem State
University student!
We know you are excited,
nervous and have lots of
questions. Our job is to make
sure you have access to the
resources and support you
will need to successfully
transition from high school
to university life. If you
find yourself not knowing
where to find the answer
to a question, stop by our
office. You can also send us
a message on Facebook or
shoot us an email.
Our main purpose is to
help you achieve your
academic goals. Do you have
questions about your First
Year Seminar or Learning
Community? Do you want
to learn more about our
Student Success Series, or
just get involved? Check out
our website at salemstate.
edu/firstyear, where you will
find up to date information
regarding our programs and
activities. We can point you
in the right direction and
assist you in making your
first year at Salem State a
memorable one!
Welcome to the First Year Experience Office
Location: 100A Meier Hall; Phone: 978.542.2618; Email: firstyear@salemstate.edu
Getting Involved: Commuter Life and Residence Life
By Sean Spellman and Thomas Durfee
POP QUIZ: Did you know about 50% of the student
population at Salem State University commutes from
off-campus and the other half of students choose to live
on-campus within our residence halls? Well it's true!
On vs. off-campus living is one of the many factors that
make the student body at Salem State so diverse.
With that being said, congratulations! You have passed your first college quiz. Welcome to
the Salem State family. We are all so glad that you are joining us here and are proud to call
you a fellow Viking! Your first year of college is an exciting and exhilarating time in your life
full of challenges and successes. Not to worry though, because here at Salem State we have
so many resources available for all of our students, whether they choose to live on or offcampus.
Get involved and make connections with those around you. Resident students have exciting
opportunities in the residence halls to meet other students also living on-campus. Whether
it be through one of the hundreds of programs hosted within your building or through
leadership opportunities such as weekend warriors or community council, taking advantage
of these opportunities is one of the first steps to meeting new people.
For all you commuters out there, don't fret! You have unique opportunities available for you
too. Groups such as the student commuter association are here to make sure your voices
are heard. There is also the Commuter Lounge located within the Ellison Campus Center to
study, rest between classes and to meet other commuting students.
Something we know all too well is that being a new student can sometimes feel lonely. On
one hand, time between classes is a perfect opportunity to work on a paper or readings
for class. On the other hand, it is also a chance to explore all that Salem State has to offerwhether it is a guest speaker hosted by the philosophy department or a build your own
cookie table hosted by program council. These are all great ways to meet new people and
experience something new!
By taking the time to branch out and meet new people, or experience new things, you can
start to make Salem State feel like a place you belong, a place to call home. There is always
something going on. You just have to know where to look, like those boards with all the
flyers (those trees didn’t die for nothing), social media pages, like our Facebook page First
Year Success (stop playing clash of angry birds) and even on the Salem State website (yeah,
the one you probably have only been to once). Also, don’t be afraid to explore resources on
campus such as diversity and multicultural affairs, the Gassett Fitness Center, Berry Library,
and Center for Academic Excellence which are available to all students at Salem State
University. As you can see, getting involved at Salem State is easy and should be one of the
first things on your list! The key is being open to doing something new and make the effort
to explore all the Salem State has to offer.
Organization: Budget and Time Management
By Christina Hannon and Cat Metcalfe
Making the transition from high school to college can
be tricky. As a new college student, you might be out
on your own for the first time and you might only be in
class a couple days. You may be trying to figure out
how to best manage your time outside of class while
trying to pay bills, buy groceries and fuel your ever-growing caffeine addiction thanks to the
Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts on campus. Organization is essential in college when you are
trying to balance your classes, your social life and your budget.
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Here are some tips to help you start the year organized:
• Write It Down, Write Away! If you’re anything like us, you need to write something
down to make sure you remember it. An easy way to keep on top of your schedule is to
use a planner. If you stop by the first year experience office in Meier Hall 100A we are
gladly giving out free planners to first year students. You can also use your planner to
keep track of when monthly bills are due and how much you are spending on consistent
expenses, like gas or Red Bull. Check your planner daily, and update it with any new
information, like if you get a new work schedule. If you’re working on a group project,
having your planner with you makes it easy to schedule meeting times.
• Plan Ahead! Combine your planner with your course syllabi and start planning ahead!
The syllabus your professor gives you has all the important due dates in it. Take a few
minutes to transfer that information into your planner. Start thinking of any budgetary
goals you may have, like buying a car or going on a trip next summer. You can then start
to plan how much you’ll need to save each month to reach these goals. Writing these
down will give you a realistic idea of how much money you need to actually save and if
you may need to re-think some of your expenses.
• Treat Yo Self! It might seem weird, but schedule in some rewards for yourself! You’re
going to need to take time to relax and have fun without any deadlines hanging over
your head. You are going to spend money on things such as Chipotle and that really cute
sweatshirt at the campus bookstore. It’s okay. You can do that every once in a while.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by pretending you won’t need any fun money. You were
able to finish your paper two days before that deadline? Enjoy time with your friends,
buy some ice cream and celebrate your hard work!
Budget Management
Part of being organized in college is organizing your finances. A budget is going to be a
critical part of the next few years. Budgeting tends to be a trial-by-fire process for most, but
here are a few tips to get you started:
• Think about the small things! Remember when you used to run out of toothpaste and
a new container would magically appear the next day? That magic was named Mom or
Grandpa and it’s not going to be as readily available as it once was. That’s a $4 expense
you need to account for. Maybe you join Costco and stock up for the year or maybe you’ll
just take a weekend trip home and swipe a tube from your home’s bathroom closet.
Either way, you need to have a plan.
• You are going to go to the grocery store! Even though you have a meal plan, you will
likely find yourself going to the store every once in a while for the things the cafeteria
can’t provide (Ben and Jerry, we’re looking at you). After your first month or so on
campus, you should have a pretty clear idea of how much money you need to include in
the budget for non-meal plan food.
Time Management
Another part of being organized is time management. Having time management skills
is also a great positive trait to take with you into the workplace or to an internship. Your
supervisor will love it if you’re on top of your deadlines! Here are some tips to help you
start:
• Chunk It Up! Break up big projects into little ones. If you have a paper due next week, or
an exam on the horizon, take it a little at a time. Maybe study one chapter a night, or try
and complete a few pages of your paper at a time. By breaking up the assignments into
chunks, you can keep on track and avoid stress before the due date.
• Be Realistic! Set goals that you know you can achieve! Chunking it up normally helps
with that. Enjoy those feelings of victory and accomplishment that you get when you
check mark an assignment as done. If you don’t think you can write five pages in one
night, try giving yourself some extra time to make it happen.
Hopefully this will get you started on an organized path! That being said, organization can
be hard and just like your finances or your study schedule, you may get a little off track in
the beginning. That’s okay! Having it all written down, however, will help you get back on
course and establishing good habits now will benefit you throughout your college years.
MAKE SURE TO STAY
CONNECTED!
To stay up-to-date with all the
amazing opportunities available
to you, connect with us through
one or more of our social media
sites:
Facebook: Friend us at facebook.
com/firstyear.success
Like us at facebook.com/
FirstYearSuccessAtSalemState
Twitter: twitter.com/FYSuccess
Instagram: instagram.com/
firstyearsuccess
Pinterest: pinterest.com/firstyear
Goodreads: goodreads.com/
SSUFYE
Read the First Year Blog at
firstyearsuccess.wordpress.com
CONTACT US!
First Year Experience Office
100A Meier Hall
352 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: 978.542.2618
Email: firstyear@salemstate.edu
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Navigator and Canvas and MAP-Works,
Oh My!
By Brittany Rocheleau
Did you know that Salem State University offers multiple types
of resources and support for you conveniently at your fingertips?
Navigator, Canvas and MAP-Works are three online platforms that
you will use very frequently throughout college, so be sure to become
acquainted with them now to start your college career on the right track!
Navigator is a web portal you may be familiar with already because it is where you
registered for your fall classes. Once you log in with your user ID number and password,
you can access information such as your class schedule, course books, financial aid,
account holds, grades, and more! Navigator is also used for registering for courses each
semester, making payments through student accounts, purchasing a parking permit, and
tracking your requirements towards your degree. To find any of this information, look
under “Quick Links” and “Full Menu” in the left-hand column on the Navigator homepage.
Navigator also connects to other important portals, such as your Salem State student email
account, Canvas and MAP-Works.
Canvas keeps your classes organized and makes communicating with your professors
and peers easy. It includes an inbox feature where you can send messages to classmates
or course instructors, in which they will be notified when they log into Canvas as well as
their Salem State email account. Sometimes, professors will require an assignment to be
submitted electronically through Canvas, so it is important to explore the different options
that Canvas includes. Log in with your user ID number and password, and each course
will have its own page under “Courses & Groups.” Selecting a course will bring you to the
course’s home page and links to subpages in the left-hand column. The right-hand column
will display any upcoming assignments that are due, in addition to grades or feedback from
your professor on previous assignments.
The “Announcements” section is where your professors will posts any important updates
or news that the whole class needs to know. “Assignments” will show each task or project
for the semester with its due date. It is also where you upload any files that the professor
wants you to submit electronically. “Discussions” may be used as part of your course to
engage you and your peers with assignments or on relevant topics. The “Grades” tab will
allow you to see your graded assignments and keep track of your progress in the course
throughout the semester. The “Modules” section is where your professors will post
supplemental materials for the class, such as handouts and PowerPoint presentations.
Canvas also has a free app that you can download on your smartphone or device so that
you can always stay updated on the go!
MAP-Works is a handy tool that is completely customizable to your academic and cocurricular needs. By completing the MAP-Works survey once per semester, it will generate
a report filled with tips, strategies and resources for your success. Those who complete the
survey are also automatically entered into drawing for awesome prizes such as Salem State
gear, meal plans, $100 gift cards, Beats headphones, priority class registration, and housing
deposits!
Creating Good Habits: Checking your Email
and Communicating with Professors
By Jennifer Migliozzi
Have you checked your Salem State email today? If you haven’t, I want
you to stop reading this article and check it right now! You should be
checking your Salem State email every day. Not every other day, not just
every Monday—you need to be checking your email every day.
Your Salem State email is the only place that professors, financial aid, student accounts,
residence life, and basically all the important offices and people you need to be in contact
with here at Salem State will be using to connect with you—not your Gmail or your Yahoo
account. Your Salem State email will tell you all sorts of important things, like when your
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class is cancelled, what fun and free events are happening on campus this week and the
date of the last day you can add and drop classes for the fall semester. Think of it this way, if
Instagram is where you go to see all the important things that’s happening with your friends,
your Salem State email is where you go to see all the important things happening with your
life here at Salem State.
Here are a few tips to get into the habit of checking your Salem State email on a daily basis:
• Connect it to an email account you already use and push all messages there. If Gmail is
your go-to email that you’re used to checking, link your Salem State account to it. All Salem
State messages will get forwarded to that email that you already take the time to read.
• Add your email to your phone, tablet or your computer. Set your notifications like you
would for texts or Snapchats, so you never miss an email. If you need any help getting
connected on any of you devices check out this link: salemstate.edu/office365
• Set an alarm to check your email once a day. It takes about three weeks to form a new
habit, so setting an alarm will help you get in that habit of checking your email at the same
time every day. Maybe you check your email in the morning when you first wake up or
maybe you check it when you’re grabbing lunch in Marsh.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter when or how you check your email, just as long as you’re reading
it once a day and getting all the information you need for a successful first year of college!
Why else is your Salem State email so important?
Email is one of the primary places you’ll be connecting with your professors. Many professors
use email to send out readings or remind their students about upcoming assignments. Email
is a two-way street, meaning that you can reach out to your professors through email too!
Questions about the syllabus? Confused if you bought the right book for class? Email is a
great way to communicate with your professors about any questions that may come up about
your classes and any assignments.
Pay attention on the first day of class because that is when professors will be telling you the
best ways and times to communicate with them. Most professors will provide you with an
email address (or two) that they check most often for you to contact them. Some may tell you
when the best times are to email them. For example, one professor may be on his/her email
from eight to ten every night, another may check email every morning.
When sending an email to a professor, you shouldn’t word it exactly how you would word a
text to your friend. You should aim for proper capitalization and correct spelling. While the
abbreviation for hw (homework) may be clear to you, it might not be for them. The email
doesn’t have to be written as formally as a paper, though. It should mirror how you would
speak to your professor if you were talking to them in person.
Another way to communicate and connect with professors are through their office hours.
Office hours are designated chunks of time that professors hold open just for you. It is
chance for you to meet and talk individually with a professor. Office hours are also a good
opportunity for you introduce yourself to your professor personally. Your professors aren’t
just there to teach your classes; they are resources to help you succeed here at Salem State.
The better they know you, the better they can help! Professors can help you manage your
time, set goals for yourself and find out about internship or scholarship opportunities. I’m
challenging you to introduce yourself to at least one of your professors at their office hours
during the first few weeks of classes; you won’t regret it!
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