First-Year Student Success Guide

Student Success

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First-Year Student Success Guide

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Starting college is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming fast. The good news is most first-year struggles are normal, and Southern Miss has resources built specifically to help you succeed. This page is your quick guide to staying on track, getting support early, and building habits that make college easier.

First-Year Checklist

If you do nothing else, make sure you handle these:

鉂� Check Canvas daily (assignments, announcements, grades)

鉂� Check your 麻豆视频 email daily (important updates come here)

鉂� Know your deadlines (add/drop, withdrawal, financial aid)

鉂� Learn your weekly schedule and block out study time

鉂� Ask for help early (waiting makes everything harder)

The Top 5 Habits of Successful First-Year Students

	Treat school like a job Plan to spend 2鈥�3 hours studying per hour of class. You don鈥檛 have to study nonstop, but you do need structure.
	Stay ahead of deadlines Many students don鈥檛 fail because of content鈥攖hey fail because they miss assignments.
	Go to class even when you don鈥檛 feel like it Attendance is one of the strongest predictors of success. Professors notice absences more than you might think!
	Use office hours early Office hours are designated times when professors are available to meet with students. Use them early to stay ahead, not just when you鈥檙e struggling.
	Don鈥檛 isolate College gets harder when you try to do everything alone.

Student Success Support (CSS)

The 麻豆视频 for Student Success (CSS) helps students build habits and strategies that lead to success.

Success Coaching

Success Coaching is a 1-on-1 meeting with a coach who can help you with:

time management
staying motivated
study strategies
organization and planning
stress management and accountability
adjusting to college life

If you feel behind, unmotivated, overwhelmed, or unsure what to do next鈥攖his is a great starting point.

Success Coaching (CSS)

CSS Skills

Explore tools and handouts on:

note-taking

test preparation

avoiding procrastination

goal-setting

academic confidence

Student Success Resources

Academic Tools You Should Use Weekly

Canvas is where you鈥檒l find:

assignments and due dates
course announcements
grades
discussion boards

SOAR is where you handle:

registration
holds
schedules
billing/financial tasks

This includes major deadlines like:

add/drop
withdrawal dates
semester start/end

Academic Calendar

Tutoring & Academic Help

Even strong students use tutoring. It鈥檚 not about being 鈥渂ad at a subject,鈥� it鈥檚 about learning efficiently.

If you鈥檙e struggling in a class, do not wait until the week of the exam.

麻豆视频 Tutoring and Learning Resources

Writing Help

College writing is a major adjustment, especially in your first year. If you struggle with:

research papers

APA formatting

grammar

clarity

thesis statements

Writing support can save you hours and boost your grades.

麻豆视频 Writing 麻豆视频

Mental Health & Stress Support

College can create stress, anxiety, and burnout, especially during your first semester.

If you feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or emotionally stuck, support is available and confidential.

Student Counseling Services

Financial Aid and Money Basics

A lot of students struggle in their first year simply because they don鈥檛 understand financial deadlines.

If you have questions about, visit the links below.

FAFSA
aid packages
scholarships
tuition and billing

Business Services

Office of Scholarships and Financial Wellness

Office of Financial Aid

Tech Help (If You Can鈥檛 Log In)

If you鈥檙e locked out of Canvas, email, or SOAR, don鈥檛 panic. 麻豆视频 has tech support for this.

ITech Help Desk

How to Avoid the 鈥淔irst-Year Spiral鈥�

A lot of first-year students fall into the same cycle:

1 missed assignment 鈫� falling behind 鈫� anxiety 鈫� avoidance 鈫� worse grades

Here鈥檚 the fix:

turn in something even if it鈥檚 imperfect

email your professor early

go to tutoring

schedule a success coaching appointment

You can recover from almost anything in college if you respond early.

Quick Time Management Strategy

Try this weekly plan:

Sunday Planning (15 minutes)

open Canvas

write down everything due this week

schedule study blocks

Daily Routine

30 minutes of 鈥渁dmin time鈥� (Canvas, email, reminders)

1鈥�2 hours of focused study using short, intense study sessions (study cycle) short breaks (don鈥檛 multitask)

A little planning saves you hours of stress.

Getting Involved

Students who feel connected to campus are more likely to:

stay enrolled

feel motivated

succeed academically

Find at least one organization, club, or campus activity.

When Should You Get Help?

If any of these are true, it鈥檚 time to reach out:

you missed 2+ assignments

you feel constantly behind

you don鈥檛 understand the course expectations

you don鈥檛 know how to study effectively

you feel unmotivated or burned out

you鈥檙e considering withdrawing

You are not alone鈥攁nd getting help early is what successful students do.

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