Academic Essentials

The following sections contain everything you should need to get your academic house in order this semester. Much of the information is geared towards incoming TAs but nearly all the information is useful for every newly enrolled CS grad student.

International Programs Office

International students must report their arrival immediately after reaching Fort Collins. International Programs Office needs to make photocopies of your passport, visa, I-20 and I-94. This can be achieved by setting up an appointment with

International Programs Office Laurel Hall (970) 491-5917

Student Identification (Photo ID)

Student identification is your ticket to library access, vending applications, discounts at local movie theatres, and more. Once enrolled your first stop on campus should be the University ID office. Enter the main doors of the Lory Student Center and step forward into the main lobby. Find Carl's Jr. (fast food restaurant). Directly across the lobby from Carl's Jr. next to Sweet Sensations is the ID Office. Fill out a quick application, get a digital picture taken, and voila, you'll be done in about 5 minutes. Watch out for long lines of freshmen at the beginning of fall semester!

For more information contact:

	Colorado State University ID/Vending Office
	Room 170, Lory Student Center
	(970) 491-2344

SMART form

SMART (Schedule Manager for Advising and Registration by Technology) form can be from the department office. This form contains all the information required for course registration. It also contains the Personal Access Code (PAC) number that is used as a PIN during registration.

Computer Account (CSU) / eID

If you are a new student, then you must create an eID. An eID is your electronic identity in the eyes of the school. This identity gives you access to a number of electronic services such as email, WebPages and use of WebCT (web-based course technology used in a lot of classes). Once you are enrolled proceed to the webpage http://eid.colostate.edu and follow the supplied instructions. (You will need your student id number (usually your SSN and PAC (personal access code) number to obtain an eID). This is crucial to getting up and running at CSU!!!

Address Change

Students must provide CSU (as well as the department) with their latest address. Mailing and billing address changes can be done easily thanks to RamWeb which can be found at http://ramweb.colostate.edu/. Logon by inputting your student id and PAC number. Select address view/update to make changes. Report your new address to the dept. accountant.

International students need to report their address change to the International Programs Office as well as to the INS. Reporting address change to the INS is done by submitting a completed AR-11 form. This form can be obtained from here.

Computer Account (Comp. Sci.)

As an enrolled grad student in CS, you have access to 80 MB of storage and an account on the CS network. You must contact the CS system administrators to have a username created. Once a username is created you may access any CS network computer. Upon first access to the CS network, you must create a new password. The Windows based network computers require a separate password from the Linux/Unix based network computers. To get you CS account up and running contact:

	Wayne Trzyna (Systems Administrator)
	trzyna@cs.colostate.edu
	(970) 491-1057

System Assistants

	sna@cs.colostate.edu
	(970) 491-5305

A quick note - Wayne and the system assistants are very busy guys so plan ahead when trying to get accounts up and running.

CSU Dial-Up Connection

Modem dial-up Internet connections may be obtained through CSU's Academic Computing and Network Services. If you are a funded graduate student, talk with the CS staff first before signing up for dial-up access - the department covers your dial-up expenses. All information pertaining to dial-up access may be found at http://www.colostate.edu/ACNS/Dialup/homepg.html

Initial Meeting with Advisor

Find out who your advisor (usually temporary) is and set up a meeting as soon as possible. Before the actual meeting takes place, do your homework. Read the degree requirements posted on the web, review the course listings for the coming semester, and go into the meeting with an idea of what YOU want. Advisors are not there to tell you what to do. They act as a basin of wisdom, offering counsel and advice on things such as courses that match well with proposed degree/career goals, schedule loading, and a pathway of courses that flows well based on the material covered. DO NOT expect them to spoon-feed you. When the meeting takes place take notes and don't leave until you have a working course schedule drawn up.

Registering for Courses

Course registration is quick and easy thanks to the RAMweb system. First, obtain a SMART (Schedule Manager for Advising and Registration by Technology) form. This contains all the info you'll need to register. Select the courses for which you want to enroll (take care to write down the six digit course number - this is necessary for online registration). Go to CSU homepage http://www.colostate.edu and select RAMWeb link. Input your student id and your PAC number and then select to register for classes.

Buying Books

Nobody likes shelling out big bucks for textbooks at the school bookstore. Most schools, including CSU, have discount book retailers located off-campus with comparable selections to the "official" bookstore. However, some titles, especially for small graduate classes, won't be available anywhere except the "official" bookstore. To get a good deal on these books, you may want to try to purchase online via Amazon.com. For more information on the "official" bookstore and discount retailers:

	University Bookstore (official)
	Lory Student Center
	(970) 491-6692

	Rams Book Store (discount)
	130 W. Laurel
	(970) 482-7917
	www.ramsbookstore.com

	The Student Bookstore (discount)
	1107 W. Elizabeth 
	(970) 482-2028

Funded Students

SSN

International students need to obtain an SSN before they can start working on-campus. This can be done at

	Social Security Administration
	301 S. Howes, 2nd floor
	(970) 482-7354

Contact the International Programs office to obtain more information.

Getting Course Textbooks

A TA receives copies of the course materials from the instructor they are assisting.

Signing up for LabOp hours

LabOp hours are an extra requirement of TAs. TA office hours are usually held in the computer lab while the TA is on duty as a lab assistant. Therefore, at the beginning of each semester, all TAs gather in the computer lab with Wayne to sign up for lab hours. Get to the meeting early to ensure that you get a choice.

Getting office space

Every funded TA or RA receives office space as part of his or her support. The quality of office space received depends 90% on seniority and 10% on luck. Once all TAs and RAs have been assigned office space, the remaining space is assigned to graduate students on a seniority basis. Even the best office spaces are cramped. Expect to share a cubicle with three people and a phone line with six people.

Getting keys to the building

Funded graduate students have keys to the University Services Center Building. Susan Short is responsible for issuing keys.

Using the phone

Dial 8 for an outside line. On-campus numbers are usually of the form 491-xxxx or 495-xxxx. To make a call to an on-campus number, simply do not dial the 49, just dial 1-xxxx or 5-xxxx. No long distance calls are possible on graduate student lines without a phone card or a pin-number available to students living on-campus.

In-State Residency Petition

Obtaining In-State Residency is VERY important to most graduate students (US citizens or permanent residents). Thus, you want to make sure that approach the process correctly and to do this, you need to speak with an advisor at Student Financial Services. THIS IS CRITICAL! Don't put off this meeting for even a few days after your arrival. During the petition process, dates appearing on documents are the only things that matter--not your word. Immediately after arriving on campus contact:

	Financial Aid
	Administration Annex
	(970) 491-6321