Student Guide

Welcome to the New Student Guide. This is the starting page that will become a guide for new students at UB - feel free to contribute!

Part I: Living on Campus

If you are living on campus, you may find this section helpful.

Applying for Housing and Housing Selection:

To learn about how you can apply for housing, you can read the page on Housing Selection.

What to Bring - For Each Person:

Essentials:

• Alarm Clock
  • This is recommended to have even if you use your cell phone to wake up, in case your phone doesn't go off (this happens more often than you think)
  • Dual Power (Outlet + Battery Backup) recommended
  • This can be placed across the room if preferred, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off
  • Alarm Clock with dim LEDs recommended
• Charging Cables
• Power Banks
• Medications
• Command Strips
• Storage Bins
• Shelf
• Reusable Water Bottle
• Flashlight
• Backpack
• Sunglasses
• Wallet
• Keys
• Microfiber Cloth

School and Paper Supplies:

• Pencils, Erasers, and Pens
• Pencil Sharpener
• Notebooks
• Folders With Pockets
• Index Cards
• Sticky Notes
• Paper Clips and Binder Clips
• Rubber Bands
• Clear Tape
• Masking Tape
• Scissors
• Highlighter Pens (multiple colors)
• Ruler
• Mail Stamps
• Envelopes
• Stapler
• Staples

Laundry:

• Dirty Laundry Basket
• Clean Laundry Basket
• Laundry Detergent
• Dryer Sheets

Personal Hygiene:

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Dental Floss
• Hair Brush / Comb
• Deodorant / Antiperspirant
• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Body Wash / Body Soap
• Shaving Supplies
• Bath Towels
• Shower Caddy (If living in a dorm)
• Shower Sandals (If living in a dorm)
• Nail Clippers
• Tweezers
• Cotton Swabs
• Face Wash / Skincare Products
• Hair Dryer (If used)

Health, Safety, and Wellness:

• First Aid Kit
• Thermometer
• Over the Counter Medications
  • Pain relievers (such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen)
  • Cold and Flu Medications
  • Antacids (such as Calcium Carbonate, typically known as Tums)
  • Aspirin
• Reusable Ice Pack
• Behind the Counter (Non-Prescribed) Medications:
  • Pseudoephedrine (The Non-PE version of Sudafed)
    • The over-the-counter "Sudafed PE" version is phenylephrine, proven to do nothing more than a placebo.
• Sleep Mask
• Earplugs
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• Bug Spray
• Sunscreen
• Bandages
• Gauze Pads
• Medical Tape

Comfort:

• Pillows
• Blankets
• Bed Sheets

Clothing and Weather:

• Jacket
• Sweatshirt / Hoodie
• Shirts
• Underwear
• Shorts
• Pants
• Socks
• Shoes
• Boots
• Lint Roller
• Boot Tray
• Umbrella
• Gloves
• Hat
• Scarf
• Swimming Outfit
• Professional Dress Clothing
• Clothing Hangers
• Sandals
• Sewing Kit

Technology:

• Laptop
• Ethernet Cable
• USB Hub
• USB Extension Cord
• Bluetooth Speaker
• Noise Cancelling Headphones
• USB Flash Drives
• HDMI Cable
• Desktop Computer
• Monitors
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Cable Ties
  • Can be plastic zip ties, velcro cable ties are preferred

What to Bring - For Roommates to Discuss:

If living by yourself, go over list as needed.

Cleaning Supplies and Maintenance:

• Cleaning Supplies
• Vacuum or Dustpan and Broom
• Garbage Bin
• Garbage Bags
• Disinfecting Wipes
• Toilet Paper
• Toilet Plunger (If living in an apartment, or to be prepared in case a toilet clogs)
• Toilet Brush (If living in an apartment)
• Cleaning Mop
  • Swiffer Wetjets are common among students due to their convenience
• Air Fresheners
  • Plug-in air fresheners are unfortunately not allowed, and may get noted during a planned room inspection
• Paper Towels

Shared Utilities and Technology:

• Surge Protectors
• Box Fans
• TV
• Clothing Steamer or Iron and Ironing Board

Kitchen and Food:

• Can Opener
• Paper Towels
• Air Fryer (Apartment Kitchens Only)
• Indoor Grill / Griddle (Apartment Kitchens Only)
• Coffee Maker
• Pots and Pans
• Spatulas and Stirring Spoons
• Mini Fridge (Dorms Only, Must Be <= 4.5 Cubic Feet)
• Dish Soap
• Sponge or Dish Scrubber
• Plates, Bowls, and Mugs (Microwave Safe recommended)
• Silverware / Utensils
• Cutting Board (Preferably not plastic)
• Salt, Pepper, and Basic Seasonings
• Dishwasher Detergent (If living in an apartment)
  • The prefilled pods are generally not recommended, and are not cost-efficient
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixer

Tools:

• Screwdriver
• Hammer
• Wrench
• Allen Wrench Set / Hex Keys

What to Bring - Bonus:

These are bonus items that you may wish to bring if you have an interest in them, but likely will not need if you don't.

General Bonus Items:

• LED Light Strips
• Device Charging Port Cleaning Tips
• Security Cameras (If living by yourself and comfortable with it)
• Board Games
• Card Games
• Basketball
• Books
• Air Purifier or Air Filter
• Weighted Blanket
  • If a hot sleeper, a 100% cotton weighted blanket with cooling glass beads is recommended
• Label Maker

Hobby Bonus Items:

• Dedicated Camera
• 3D Printer and Filament
• Raspberry Pi / Orange Pi / Other Portable Computers
• Drone
• Arduino or Raspberry Pi Pico Kit
• Chess Set
• Instruments
  • Guitar, Ukulele, Violin, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Digital Keyboard, Recorder, Clarinet, Flute, etc
• DJ Setup
• Lockpicking Set
• Drawing Tablet
• Sketchbooks and Art Supplies
• Sewing Machine
• Action Cameras
  • Such as a GoPro camera
• Compact Telescope
• Portable Synthesizer or MIDI Controller
• Rubik's Cubes
• Compact Gardening Kit
• Amateur Radio Equipment
  • Ham Radio Handheld
    • A common entry-level choice is the Baofeng UV-5R (and variants such as the Baofeng 5RM) due to its cheap price point
• Yoga Mat and Equipment
• Painting Supplies

Receiving Mail and Packages

Your address can be found by referencing this page: https://www.buffalo.edu/campusliving/for-current-students/amenities/mail-and-package.html

As an example, if you live in Room 1078 of the Spaulding Quadrangle of the Ellicott Complex on North Campus with Bedspace A, you would format your address as the following:

Firstname Lastname

1078A Spaulding Quadrangle,

Buffalo, New York 14261-0054

Once an item or package is delivered to this address, assuming you formatted it correctly, it will be given to the UB package handling center. This means that your package may be marked as delivered before you're ready to receive it. It may take UB some time to process your package. Once done, you will receive an email to your UB email address with instructions on how to pick up your package. There may be package lockers you need to type in a code for, or you may need to receive your item at a front desk with your UB ID card. If you do not pick up your package in time (within 14 days of notice), the package will be returned to sender.

Part II: UB Dining

Dining Plans

First-year students living on campus must choose between Flex 14 and Flex 19 for a mandatory dining plan. There is no way to opt out of a meal plan in this case - it is required, even with food allergies or other dietary restrictions. For more information, refer to the article for Dining Plans.

Dining Locations

Dining Halls:

• Ellicott Complex: Crossroads Culinary Center (C3)
• Governors Complex: Governors Dining Center
• South Campus: Main Street Market Dining Center

The Dining Menu for the dining hall can be viewed here: https://ubdining.com/locations/menu

The Commons:

The Commons is located on North Campus, across from the Student Union. The Commons does not accept dining plans, despite being on campus. Meal Swipes and Dining Points will not be accepted there. Locations at The Commons include Starbucks, Subway, and La Rosa.

Part III: Finding Your Way Around Campus

As a new student, you may feel confused about where you need to go. However, UB has resources to help with finding your way to different areas across campus.

About Each Campus

The University at Buffalo has three campuses: North Campus, South Campus, and Downtown Campus.

• The North Campus is located in Amherst, NY.
  • This is generally considered the "main campus" of UB - it's the most well-known and where most students are.
  • The following residential halls are here:
    • Governors Complex (First Year Students Only)
    • Ellicott Complex
    • Greiner Hall (Second Year Students Only)
  • The following apartments are here:
    • Flint Village
    • South Lake Village
    • Creekside Village
    • Hadley Village
    • Flickinger Court
• The South Campus is located in Buffalo, NY.
  • This was the original (first) campus of UB.
  • The following residential halls are here:
    • Clement Hall
    • Goodyear Hall
• The Downtown Campus is located in Buffalo, NY - specifically in Downtown Buffalo.

Where Your Classes Are

The location of your classes depends on what school and department your class is in. Therefore, your major will play a significant role in where your classes will be.

If your major is in any of the following schools, your major-specific classes might be on South Campus:

• School of Architecture and Planning
• School of Dental Medicine
• School of Nursing
• School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• School of Public Health and Health Professions

If your major is in any of the following schools, your major-specific classes might be on Downtown Campus:

• Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

If you are not in any of the previously mentioned schools, your major-specific classes might be on North Campus. However, regardless of your school, it is likely that you will have classes on North Campus, especially if you are an undergraduate.

How to Find Your Class Location

First, you'll need to find what building your class is in, which should be listed on your schedule as a building and room number. Once you've found the building, you can use the following link to see which campus the building is on: https://www.buffalo.edu/administrative-services/managing-facilities/planning-designing-and-construction/building-profiles.html

For example, if your class is in Davis Hall, you can go to the above link and look in each tab for Davis Hall. Using your browser's search functionality may be helpful for this - this is typically with Ctrl + F on Windows or Linux and Command + F on macOS.

Navigating Around Campus

Many students find it helpful to use the campus map websites, which are as follows:

North Campus: https://www.buffalo.edu/home/visiting-ub/map.html#north

South Campus: https://www.buffalo.edu/home/visiting-ub/map.html#south

Downtown Campus: https://www.buffalo.edu/home/visiting-ub/map.html#dt

You can open one of these maps in a browser app on a cellular phone (with GPS and cellular data) if you have one - in this case, if you enable location permissions for the website, you may be able to see your current location as you walk. This can be incredibly useful when you are learning where buildings are on campus and how to get to them.

Part IV: Transportation

The University at Buffalo has two types of transportation covered by the mandatory Transportation Fee - the Stampede, which are a set of buses to get around and between campuses, and the Shuttle, which is a way to get around one campus.

Part V: Financial Aid

To be written. If you are a new student and you need help with Financial Aid, some info may be covered at Freshman Orientation. To the community: Please feel free to contribute!

Starting notes for anyone who wishes to contribute:

Federal Financial Aid

Federal financial aid includes Federal Pell Grants and Federal SEOG Grants. Federal Pell Grants are awarded to those with financial need

State Financial Aid

State financial aid includes NYS TAP (Tuition Assistance Program), SUNY Tuition Credit, NYS STEM Incentive Program, and the Excelsior Scholarship.

Other Financial Aid

ACCES-VR is a program for those with disabilities who can receive financial assistance and assistance with seeking and maintaining employment after college.

Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) is a program to support students with more limited resources academically and financially.

Loans

Loans may be an option in case money is still owed after all financial aid and scholarships have been exhausted, and the student is unable to pay what is owed. Loans are not free money and must be paid back - it is easy for a student to take out a loan, but the debt may catch up to the student if they take out too much. The federal government offers Federal Direct Loans for those who are eligible, and are highly recommended before any consideration of private loans, as these can be manageable. For those who still need loans after all Federal Direct Loans, Parent PLUS loans may be available if a student's legal parent or guardian is willing to sign up for it with the student and is also eligible.

Private loans should be considered an absolute last resort, as they have been known to ruin students' lives with tremendous amounts of debt - especially predatory loans such as Sallie Mae (aka Navient) and Wells Fargo. Never take out Sallie Mae loans or refinance federal loans with them, no matter how much you feel the need to do so. It will ruin your life.

Part VI: Printing

To be written. UB uses Wepa Print for printing services and gives $35 each semester in print credit, covered by the mandatory Technology Fee. Please feel free to contribute!

Part VII: Clubs, Campus Events, and Student Life

Most organizations on campus are run under and funded through the Student Association (SA) and Graduate Student Association (GSA). They provide yearly funding to recognized clubs and have funds for other clubs or events on campus that people might want to run. When moving in at the beginning of the year, look out for tables in the Student Union, as many organizations will have tables laid out displaying their club/organization. These range anywhere from academic clubs, Greek life, religious/political groups, and funny hobby-based groups.

Bulletin boards around campus are typically cleaned every semester or so, so information on them should be up-to-date. Always keep an eye out for posters as clubs and major events will be posted daily. Emails are also sent to students from the SA and GSA regularly with newsletters and lists of upcoming events. These organizations often offer students - both undergrads and graduate students - discounted tickets to events in town/the city such as the Zoo, Sabres games, and musical theater performances. Note that SA and GSA are run partially independently so discounted tickets are not always offered to both SA and GSA.

Walking around campus will open you up to events on campus as well. Very often, you can just run across events being run on campus by walking around the Student Union or adjacent areas. Around the start of the year, a poster sale is often held outside the SU where you can buy reasonably-priced posters for your dorm or a campus office. There have also often been petting zoos and animals brought onto campus, so you can get to pet animals such as llamas, goats, tortoises, etc.

UBLinked

UBLinked is a platform that allows students to find events hosted by clubs, Campus Living, RHA (Residence Hall Association), and more. It is also used by club officers to create events and reserve rooms.

[There is plenty more information! Please feel free to contribute!]

Part VIII: Registering for Classes and Creating a Schedule

To be written. Please feel free to contribute!

Part IX: Summer Orientation and Welcome Weekend

To be written. Please feel free to contribute!

Part X: Changing Your Major

To be written. Please feel free to contribute!

Part XI: Finding a Lost Item

If you have lost an item on campus, there are several resources that you can go to in order to potentially receive your item back. This is assuming someone turned in your lost item to one of these resources.

Important: Providing a Description

It is extremely important that you provide a detailed description of your lost item. In addition to finding any pictures of your item, if available, you should include factors such as:

• Size
• Color
• Shape
• Manufacturer / Brand
• Personal Marks / Unique Factors

You should also include information on possible locations for where your item was lost and approximate or possible day(s) and time(s) during which you could have lost your item.

The following resources can be used for finding lost items, each with their own Lost and Found:

• Student Union Lost and Found: Go to the Student Union front desk on the first floor to ask about your item.
• Bissell Hall Lost and Found: Bissell Hall is the UB Police Department. You can go in-person or dial (716)-645-2227 and press 1 to be transferred to their Lost and Found department.
• Silverman Library Lost and Found: You can go to the front desk on the 3rd floor of Capen Hall to ask if they have your item.
• UB Parking and Transportation: You can call (716)-645-3943 to reach UB Parking and Transportation, such as if you may have lost your item on a bus or shuttle.

You may also utilize alternative resources, such as Reddit's r/UBreddit subreddit, which is dedicated to the University at Buffalo.