The Cauldron

The first week of the 2008 Fall Semester has already been completed, but while many are merely looking ahead to the next 14 weeks of the seemingly never ending semester, some new freshman and transfer students may still be a bit lost in the transition process of coming into a new university.

Don't panic!

The following tips and helpful information should clear up any confusion or nerves one may still have during just the second week of classes:

Free time outside of the classroom: Obviously classes, assignments, and tests are most important at Cleveland State just like at any other institution, however there are many clubs, activities, and groups to get involved in on campus. CSU has everything from different sororities and fraternities that students can rush for to a very competitive rowing team that competes against other colleges in the area.

For students who want to report or become involved in print media, CSU offers a student newspaper, The Cauldron (what you are reading right now), two magazines, The Vindicator and Whiskey Island, and has its own student run radio station as well, WCSB 89.3.

Any CSU student looking to get involved in athletics can join intramurals by contacting the Recreation Center on campus. Many different sports are offered including flag football and basketball. If you have enough time, dedication, and are obviously good enough, the university offers club sports, but this is not just to have fun. Club sports such as rowing and wrestling are highly competitive and are not just for the average student.

Other activities to get involved in include Vikettes, the CSU dance team that performs at men's and women's basketball games, as well as other events, sometimes even traveling with the team.

There are many groups and activities on the campus of Cleveland State that it is virtually impossible to name them all, but simply asking people on campus or looking up groups at www.csuohio.edu will answer any uncertainties that one may have about getting involved in something outside of academics.

Buying Supplies: Perhaps the biggest burden to bear as a firstyear student is the ever-rising cost of textbooks and course materials. After writing $350 checks as freshmen to the Cleveland State University Bookstore, many consider changing their majors to Composition so that someday they rake in the big bucks these publishers and textbook authors must inevitably make. While the switch of a major usually never takes place, pledge to find yourself a new and affordable way to handle the economic pinch book-buying inescapably that is put on freshmen to seniors alike.

Shop around: While the CSU Bookstore may have the most extensive and all-inclusive collection of college texts, this bookstore certainly isn't the only bookstore on campus, let alone in the Greater Cleveland area. The most immediate alternative is only a stone's throw away. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, located at 2020 Euclid Avenue (and therefore just as close as the CSU Bookstore) carries many of the same textbooks the CSU Bookstore keeps in stock and occasionally, at cheaper prices. Aside from this store, there are plenty of other regular Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks, B. Dalton and other mall and outlet stores which hold books you may be in the market for. The book store Half Price Books is particularly useful for finding bargain college texts, and as the store's name implies, the books they sell are typically half off the normal on-shelf price. While the store's selection may not be as broad, if you search hard enough, you may discover a few gems.

Shop on-line: Local shops and booksellers are hardly the only option that students have to find affordable textbooks. One advantage of living in the digital age is the increased number of opportunities to find the items you're looking for through on-line shopping services and vendors. Usually, you can find used books through these same websites too. This is an asset to many CSU students, especially those who can't find their texts used when turning to the traditional options for purchasing books. Half.com, Amazon.com, BigWords.com and Abebooks.com are just a few options for online purchasing. While cheap prices and wide selection typically characterize the on-line shopping experience, shopping on-line doesn't come without a few negatives. Exorbitant shipping fees can cut in to the money you initially save and the books may not arrive as expediently as you need them. Many students are hesitant about revealing their credit/debit card information online and rightly so. When buying online, be sure to check out the seller's credentials. Typically, many sites offer reviews in the form of past customers experiences buying books from a particular vendor. Caveat emptor: be sure to read the fine print before making any moves in the wired world.

Split costs with friends: Are you and a friend planning on taking some of the same general education style courses at Cleveland State but during different semesters or years? How about different courses toward the same degree or major? Split the cost of books! Incoming freshmen find themselves taking many of the same courses for their first two years of study to satisfy University requirements. If CSU can count on many of its students taking the same courses year in and year out, there should be no reason to invest in textbooks for these courses with a friend and save plenty of 'Benjamins' in the process.

Getting good grades: The importance of maintaining a solid grade point average is widespread to incoming students and seasoned graduates alike. Good grades at the collegiate level create positive distinctions among job applicants entering the working world. The habits and work ethic you develop at the college level follow you well past your college years. So pay attention freshmen and newcomers…

Get what you pay for: Cleveland State offers a multitude of resources to its students for the purposes of maintaining high grade point averages and finding help where assistance is needed. Whether you're an avid researcher or a first-year student worrying about that upcoming midterm, CSU has options, free options, to help you advance your grades and scholarly stature. The Tutoring and Academic Success Center, located at MC 110, is one of such resources. The center starts Intake week Sep. 2. Give them a good perusal before you start fretting about upcoming papers and tests. The Writing Center is another area of focus for students who feel unsure about their essays and literary work. The center maintains its own tutors who help students on their way to becoming "more confident, comfortable writers." They even carry plenty of reference books to inspect before you submit your paper to intense professorial scrutiny, so check them out. The Math Learning Center can be found in MC 471 for advice on any range of subjects in the mathematics discipline- calculus, statistics, probabilities, you name it. Student Support Services is yet another asset for the curious mind. Located on the first floor of the Main Classroom Student Center, Student Support Services perform a number of functions, including academic skill sessions, advising and even career planning seminars. The bond that connects all of these services is that each of them are available at no cost to the student. Use them! You pay for them every time you write that tuition check to Cleveland State.

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