Additional Resources
Student
Undergraduate Student / Graduate Student
Undergraduate student Academic planning tips
Develop a 4-Year Plan
- Visit your advisor every semester to develop and track your academic plan
- Declare your major and know your degree requirements
- Track your progress in Degree Works
Get Involved
- Join student organizations
- Volunteer your time
- Attend athletic events
Manage Your Finances
- Create a budget and live with that budget
- Know your financial aid and scholarship requirements
- Minimize your student loan debt
Take 15 Credits Each Semester
- Register for 15 credit hours
- Graduate in four years
- Reduce debt, accelerate your graduation
Explore Your Career
- Connect with the Career Services
- Assess your skills, values, personality, and career goals
- Gain valuable career skills via part-time jobs, internships, and co-ops
FINISH IN FOUR!
Did you know that...
- Every semester a student extends their enrollment, they could be adding nearly $11,000 to the cost of their degree?
- If a student withdraws from one 3-hour course each semester, they will have to enroll for at least one more year at a cost of more than $21,000?
- In addition to the cost of the degree, the student will lose estimated wages of $39,400 per year (the average entry-level salary for a state university system bachelor’s degree)?
- If a student completes two-thirds or less of the courses attempted, it will take two additional years to graduate and two years of lost wages? The price tag: $121,860!*
So how do you avoid spending all this extra? Take 15!
Take 15 credits every semester and graduate in four years -- that's your formula for success! You'll minimize your debt, accelerate your graduation and launch your career faster!
*Visit the Financial Aid Cost of Attendance webpage for details.
AVOID EXCESS CREDIT HOURS
To encourage students to complete their baccalaureate degree as quickly and efficiently as possible, the Florida Legislature implemented what is commonly referred to as an "Excess Credit Hour Surcharge." The statute requires universities to add a surcharge to each credit hour taken in excess of the total hours (typically 120) required to obtain a degree. For more information about this surcharge and how you can avoid it, visit the Registrar's website.
Graduate Student Academic Planning Tips & Resources
Develop an Academic Plan and Graduate on Time
Identify and connect with all your academic partners such as your advisor/major professor.
Work with them to develop an academic plan so you can graduate in a timely matter.
Realize that the university has a spectrum of resources that you can utilize to enrich
your graduate education. Consider broadening your experience by investigating options
to learn and do research abroad.
Identify Your Academic Partners
Academic success at the graduate level requires working with a number of individuals. These individuals will provide you with the necessary guidance and support as you progress through your program. These include your:
- Major professor/advisor
- Graduate program director (consult your program's webpage)
- Department chair
- Discipline specific librarian
- Fellow graduate students and peers
- Graduate department/program assistant
** Please note that the titles and functions of these individuals may differ based
on your program.
Globalize your Education
- Fulbright Scholarships are available for graduate students to study and do research abroad. Visit the Office of National Scholars for more information.
- USF has graduate programs integrated with the Peace Corps, check out the Coverdell Fellows Program, for example.
Support Resources
Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Resource Center (ETD)
Learn to navigate the electronic thesis & dissertation process.
The Writing Studio at the Academic Success Center
Need a second set of eyes to look over your writing?
Take a workshop to learn more about the library resources and improve your research
skills.