Spring Start Students
New Student Orientation is committed to help prepare our newest students for success in their first year at UGA. Before you arrive, get to know your Orientation Leaders (OLs), learn about orientation requirements, and review important information to prepare for your transition to the University of Georgia.
Welcome to the Bulldog Nation, and as always, Go Dawgs!
The information below was for our Spring 2024 orientation programs. While much of the information remains the same, we will give official notice to Spring 2025 students via email in October of 2024.
All incoming fall start first-year and transfer students are required to complete the online UGA 101 modules, attend an in-person orientation session, and meet with an academic advisor during the in-person orientation session.
The orientation session will allow students the chance to connect with other incoming students, receive a more in-depth introduction to the University of Georgia, and participate in small groups led by current UGA students. Academic advising appointments will be held during the in-person orientation session. Access to UGA 101 modules and in-person orientation session registration will be accessible on the student’s application status page. Students must complete their UGA 101 modules prior to attending their in-person orientation session.
First-year and transfer students will participate in a 1-day, in-person orientation session.
Incoming students will meet with their academic advisor during their in-person orientation session. Students are required to complete their UGA 101 modules prior to attending their in-person orientation session. Students will receive an email with their academic advising appointment information during their orientation session via their UGA email address.
All students, both first-year and transfer students, will receive their advising appointment information by 10am of their orientation session and will meet with their academic advisor later that afternoon.
Here are some tips from UGA’s academic advisors to prepare you for your first advising appointment.
Want to change your major? Students wanting to change their major prior to their academic advising appointment can do so in Athena.
Complete the Academic Advising: Step One information form. In order for your academic advisor to be made aware of your academic history
First-year student form
Transfer student form
Explore the UGA Bulletin: All students, and particularly students who are undecided about their academic major, should explore the UGA Bulletin for information about UGA’s vast array of over 170 academic programs.
Explore the Course Schedule before meeting with your advisor, and create a tentative list of courses that you would like to take during your first semester at UGA. However, recognize that the course schedule is subject to change, and you will need to be flexible as you and your advisor create a schedule that combines your originally planned courses and the courses that are available at the time you come to register.
Advisors meet with students only. Make sure your supporters understand that you are expected to take control of your academic planning and goal setting during the advising appointment. Your supporters should make alternative plans during your advising appointment. Nonetheless, it might be good to discuss your plans with your supporters beforehand, in case they have questions.
Familiarize yourself with UGA’s Academic Support: the Division of Academic Enhancement offers UNIV courses to all students who want to refresh study skills, get an introduction to UGA, learn how to write a research paper, or many other topics. Students should also explore the UGA Writing Center in Park Hall.
UGA 101 Modules are required for all incoming students and they must be completed prior to attending your in-person orientation session.
These modules are a series of videos, information pages, and links to resources that will help incoming students connect with and learn about various campus resources, programs, and organizations. Upon completion, students will be better prepared to be successful students, leaders, and members of the Bulldog Nation.
Each module has mechanisms at the end to test what you learned and to ensure that incoming students are remembering the important information. Each module is also set with automated timers and checkpoints that do not allow students to advance until the module is complete.
Students will also have access to these modules throughout their first year at UGA to revisit and reference when they may need that additional information.
It is recommended that you complete any necessary placement exams before your advising appointment. If you have questions about which placement exams you should take, please review the information on the University Testing Services website. Further questions can be directed to uts@uga.edu.
Depending on the exam, placement exams are either administered remotely or must be taken in-person. All exams have a 1 hour time limit but often do not require the whole hour. You can register for placement exams on the UTS website. Please choose the UGA Students, Faculty, and Staff option under Register for an Exam and sign in with your UGA MyID.
Placement exams cost $30 each. If you have a demonstrated financial need, please consider applying for UTS’s Need-based Financial Assistance Grant funded by the Parent’s Leadership Council.
Remote Placement Exams
English, Spanish, French, and Hebrew are given remotely through ELC, UGA’s learning management system. To take these exams, you must register one week prior to the test date through the UTS website and provide UTS with your UGA MyID so that we can get you added to our ELC course before test day.
In-Person Placement Exams – 1-Day Orientation Session (Transfer and first-year students)
Math, Italian, and German placement exams are paper exams that are administered in-person. You can take these exams at UTS’s office in Clark Howell Hall, right next to the Tate Student Center, on UGA’s Athens campus. They are open every Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. During orientation, their office will open at 7:30am to allow placement exams to be taken before orientation begins. Please register ahead of time through the UTS website.
Guests and family members of students are encouraged to attend orientation but not required to. We will have sessions of the program designed for family members as well as sessions that are for both students and family members. There is no additional cost for family members to attend orientation, but all guests must be registered for the event.