Things to Know, Things to Do

I've got a list that all Future Hokies should have checked off very soon. I've also got a list of slightly less imminent, but no less important, items.

Many of these things require you to have access to HokieSpa, so if you haven't created a PID, redirect yourself immediately (if not sooner) to HokieSpa and follow the instructions for New Students on the main page.

Things That Should Be Done Right Away
1) Register for Orientation! What days you can attend are dependent upon your major, so sign up now! (There will be enough room, each department knows how many students are coming in).
2) Make a doctor's appointment. Some Colleges are putting holds on your registration until they receive your Health History and Immunization forms, so get yourself to your favorite family doctor. All the required forms are at the Schiffert Health Center website. Make sure you're scheduled to receive or finish any of these important vaccinations: Meningitis (1 dose), Tetanus (if you haven't received a shot in the last 8-10 years), and Hepatitis B. If your religion prescribes against vaccination, Schiffert has religious exemption forms. Also check the Tuberculosis Risk form to see if you need a TB skin test.
3) Commit your ID number to memory. Just about every form at VT, from quiz scantrons to Hokie Passport replacements to study abroad applications, requires your ID number. Start learning it now. It's one digit shorter than a phone number (with area code) and how many of those have you managed to memorize?

Things That Should Be Done in the Near Future
1) Find two recent photos (within the last year) of yourself, wallet size. School yearbook photos are good for this, or team composite shots or whatever. If you don't have any because every relative in existence has snatched up your pictures, find a camera and someone to take a picture of you and print it out in wallet size. Or go to one of those mall photo booths. Just get two wallet size photos of yourself. Then go ahead and write your name, major, and ID number on the back of the photos. One copy will be in your College file and the other will be in your department file, so be sure to bring these with you to Orientation.
2) Learn to do laundry. Your parents have been cleaning your clothes for the last 18 or so years, but they're not going to do it in college. Next time laundry is being done in your house, learn to do it. No one likes all their socks mysteriously turning pink or their favorite sweater shrinking to the size of a hand puppet.
3) If you don't have any idea how, learn to sew. Nothing serious, but it's good to know how to reattach a button or patch a hole.
4) Register for a dining plan on HokieSpa. Dining plan registration starts June 1, and as freshmen you'll have a choice of the Major Flex or the Mega Flex plans.
5) Request the following to be sent to VT: dual-enrollment transcripts (from the college!) and AP or IB scores from exams taken before senior year. To check that they've been received, go to the grades menu on HokieSpa and check either transfer credit or AP credit (AP shows up in both).

Shameless Self-Promotion Alert
Register for Hokie Camp! I'm going to be a counselor during session two, and at the moment, there are less than 40 campers signed up for that particular session, and about 200 combined for all sessions. The Hokie Camp staff recruited 150 counselors (50 per session) so we can provide the best experience to as many new freshmen as possible! So if you currently have nothing planned from August 10-17, go on and sign yourself up. We've got 3 incredibly exciting days planned for you, which include Camp Olympics, a ropes course, campfires, and skits.

A Quick Note

Hey Future Hokies,
Just a quick FYI: If you're going to be in contact with anyone at VT between now and move-in, be sure to include your full name and student ID number in any communications (phone, e-mail, snail mail, carrier pigeon, etc). This makes it much easier for anyone in your college or admissions to pull up your file. If you don't remember what your ID number is, look at your acceptance letter. It's a nine-digit number that starts with "90".

Renewing the Guide

Hello new Hokies!
I started this guide last year to help new students transition into life at Virginia Tech. In it, you'll find information on how to prepare for Orientation, eating well and staying healthy, how to find academic help if you need it, and many other things (including the pressing question of how to obtain football tickets).
I'll be re-posting (and amending) the posts as they become relevant again. If you have any questions that I do not address in the blog, feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at the address provided.
-- Beth