The Student Experience

  • First-year, first-time college students undergo many transitions – one of which is the transition from high school to college. For example, high school teachers are available daily to assist students. In college, professors are available during office hours or by appointment, and it is up to the student to initiate a meeting according to the professor’s availability. Participation in the First-Year Experience helps students prepare for those transitions through an academic program designed to integrate new students into the academic and cultural community of the university.
  • Encourage your student to: Connect with the personnel in their assigned residence hall, if living on campus, and utilize the resident assistant (RA) for support and guidance;
  • Get to know their academic advisor/coach to begin building rapport;
  • Register for OrgSync to stay informed regarding student activities and service learning opportunities at the university; become a member of a student organization; befriend classmates; and form study groups – this is particularly important for commuter students;
  • Register with the Office of Career Services (OCS). OCS offers an array of interdisciplinary programs, services, and resources to prepare A&T students for the achievement of successful career, personal, and professional development;
  • Self-define set study times and locations free from distractions, especially around exams;
  • Get off campus and get to know the city of Greensboro. Students can use their Aggie OneCard to ride the Higher Education Area Transit (HEAT) or the Greensboro Transit Authority (GTA) bus system to travel throughout the city;
  • Engage in Aggie Pride to feel at home – attend athletic and campus social events;
  • Find a job on campus via AggieLink to begin building professional skills, meet other members of the campus community and learn about the campus from a different perspective.  

  • The sophomore year of college can be one of great fun and excitement. However, students may also experience a difficult transition from their first to second year of college. You will often hear the sophomore year referred to as the “forgotten year.”
  • Research suggests that students may experience a period of confusion and uncertainty during the sophomore year. There is a new set of stressors sophomores experience when they return to college. Traditionally, sophomores receive less attention than freshmen as it relates to college life and expectations about how things work. Committing to a major, finding an internship and deciding whether to study abroad leads to a possible fall into what some call "the sophomore slump."
  • Encourage your student to: Take care of physical well-being and visit the Student Health Centerand the Campus Recreation Center;
  • Talk with someone from the Counseling Center about achieving emotional well-being;
  • Talk with an academic coach/academic advisor;
  • Get involved by joining a student organization;
  • Take advantage of campus events;
  • Visit the Office of Career Services to explore career options. Attend the fall and spring Career Fair;
  • Discover the benefits of studying abroad;
  • Get educational enhancement at the Center for Academic Excellence;
  • Attend summer school to get ahead;
  • Participate in leadership/community engagement activities.

  • The junior year is a time to further develop relationships and networks established with N.C. A&T faculty, staff and alumni. It is time for students to begin taking what they have learned in the classroom and begin applying that knowledge in the world around them. In the junior year, students are well on their way toward reaching their ultimate goal--graduating from North Carolina A&T and transitioning into a successful career. Additionally, the junior year provides students with the time to focus more purposefully on their major, develop a plan to complete graduation requirements, cultivate strategies to pursue professional as well as post-graduate opportunities and choose how they will leave their mark through their Aggie experience.
  • Encourage your student to: Find an internship and gain valuable professional experience related to a chosen career field;
  • Make travel plans to study abroad this year. Broaden knowledge of the world and experience an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity;
  • Gain valuable leadership skills by taking the initiative in a student organization and leading a project;
  • Seek undergraduate research opportunities that are relevant to the student’s major;
  • Meet with academic advisors and make sure he or she is on track to graduate on time;
  • Cultivate relationships with fellow students, faculty and staff.

  • Congratulations! Your student has completed the requirements to apply for graduation and is ready to transition to the next phase of their career journey. Below is a senior checklist to aid your student in successfully navigating through the graduation process. Please advise your senior to use this checklist to confirm he or she is on track to graduate.
  • Encourage your student to: Review the academic calendar for all deadlines to ensure compliance with timely submission of all required documents for graduation;
  • Confirm that she or he has the proper amount of credits to graduate;
  • Meet with their faculty advisor to confirm eligibility to graduate;
  • Complete the online graduation application, and pay the $60 graduation fee;
  • Update contact information in Aggie Access, and double-check the spelling of name. Information in Banner is used for commencement program and for shipping diplomas;
  • Review degree audit report for accuracy in Aggie Access;
  • Confirm that all of grades and/or incomplete grades from previous semesters posted accurately and the cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or higher;
  • Pay off balances on all accounts, and check Aggie Access to ensure that all accounts have been cleared;
  • Visit the Office of Career Services for help with job search;
  • Complete the Senior Survey, the purpose of which is to collect and report data on post-graduation outcomes. Survey results are used by the Office of Career Services to enhance programs and services;
  • Visit the Office of Financial Aid to complete the senior exit interview. All students whose financial aid packages include federal loans are required to complete an exit interview with Student Financial Aid;
  • Purchase a cap and gown from the bookstore, and keep it in a safe place until graduation;
  • Register for the Alumni Association through the Office of Alumni Relations;
  • Completely move out of on-campus housing. Visit Housing and Residence Life for the detailed checkout procedure.