Student Guide

Welcome to the Student Guide. This is the starting page that will become a guide for all 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

UB's dining plans are prepaid meal accounts that provide students with meals at campus dining halls and funds for food purchases at university dining locations. The plans offered include Flex 19, Flex 14, Flex 10, and Flex 7, each number corresponding to a number of meal swipes given each week (Flex 7 gives 7 meal swipes per week, for example). Each plan also comes with a small allowance for Dining Points. UB also offers Dining Points only plans. All first-year students living on campus are required to choose between Flex 14 and Flex 19, and are automatically enrolled into the latter. 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.

Meal Swipes and Dining Points

A meal swipe can be used in two main ways - either to enter a residential dining hall, or as a meal exchange. When a student uses a swipe at a traditional dining hall (such as C3 or other buffet-style halls), one meal is deducted from their weekly allowance and they can eat freely in that sitting. If a student instead chooses to use a meal swipe at another on-campus dining location, the swipe has a set dollar value that varies based on the meal period. UB assigns meal exchange values based on the time of day, such as $8 for Breakfast, $9.50 for Late Night, and $12.75 for other periods as of the 2025-2026 academic year. This means that if a student buys food at Moe's in SU and the total comes to $15, using a meal swipe at lunch would cover $12.75 and the remaining $2.25 would have to be paid from another source (such as Dining Points).

Students can use up to two swipes per meal period. The weekly swipe count resets every Saturday at 3:00 AM, meaning all unused meal swipes (which the student paid for) are lost, and there is no way to get them back.

Dining Points are a balance included in all meal plans, and are generally considered more flexible and convenient than meal swipes. They are tax-exempt, meaning students do not have to pay tax on food purchases made with Dining Points, and can be used at the on-campus dining locations, at the two on-campus convenience stores (The Elli at Ellicott and Teddy's at Governors) to purchase food products, and at vending machines. Points are flexible for any food item, no matter how small (down to a cup of coffee), meaning students are not encouraged to get more food than they need or lose money by using a full meal swipe. Dining Points also get a 25% discount at the dining halls. If students use all of their Dining Points before the semester ends, they can add more in $25 increments online.

Pricing

UB's dining plans are a significant expense - for example, Flex 19 costs $3,995 per semester ($7,990 per year), and Flex 14 costs $3,820 per semester ($7,640 per year), independent of the housing cost itself. This means if a student wishes to live on campus for their first year, they must pay at least $7,640 for a meal plan in addition to the cost of the dorm.

Criticism

Many students criticize the "Flex" plans due to wasted money with the meal swipe resets and encouraging students to eat when they're not hungry (which can contribute to unhealthy weight gain and other issues) - and therefore the common advice for non-first-year students to get a Dining Points only plan or no plan at all. Additionally, using a meal swipe during a Breakfast or Late Night period will cause the student to lose money, as they do not get full value of the swipe they paid a higher amount for. Critics argue that many students are unaware that they cannot use meal swipes in-between meal periods, such as between 4:00 PM and 4:30 PM, until they attempt to use one and are told they cannot use a meal swipe to pay for their food. Despite this, many students who live on campus after their first year choose to opt for a dining plan, especially due to the ability to get a Dining Points only plan.

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

To be written. To the community: Please feel free to contribute!

Starting Notes:

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.

UB Stampede Bus in the winter

The University at Buffalo offers campus shuttles, buses, and various transit options for students.

UB Stampede (Inter-Campus Buses)

The UB Stampede is a fleet of blue-and-white buses that provide transit between various locations of North and South Campus, as well as between North Campus, South Campus, and Downtown Campus. Students can ride the buses as much as needed or preferred, as it is covered by the Transportation Fee - therefore, students do not have to pay additional fare when using the Stampede buses (not to be confused with NFTA buses, which go across Niagara County and Erie County - not just UB - and do require fare to be paid). The Stampede buses run throughout the day during the fall and spring semesters. During peak class hours on weekdays, Stampede buses typically depart frequently to allow students to get between campuses or around campus without waiting for too long.

Part V: Financial Aid

There is more content 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

The Federal Pell Grant provides funds to high-need undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor's degree. Eligibility is determined by the FAFSA and is based on the student's Student Aid Index (SAI) and enrollment status. For the 2023-2024 year, for example, the maximum Pell Grant was about $7,395 for full-time students with the greatest financial need. Students may receive Pell for up to the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters (six years) before reaching the lifetime limit.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity (SEOG) Grant provides additional grant money to students with exceptional financial need. Federal SEOG awards are limited and are given to the neediest students, and can be up to $4,000, but students usually receive up to a few hundred dollars due to limited funding.

Additionally, students may participate in a Federal Work-Study, which provides part-time campus jobs for students with financial need. While not a grant, it is a form of aid where earnings from work can help pay for personal and educational expenses. The amount a student can earn through work study depends on their financial need and the availability of jobs. UB offers work study positions in various departments, libraries, and offices. Students earn at least minimum wage and are paid directly for hours worked, up to the total Federal Work Study award amount.

Federal Loans are also an option if needed, but are not free money - loans must be paid back in full and with interest.

To receive federal financial aid, you will need to fill out the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov

State Financial Aid

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

The Tuition Assistance Program, also known as NYS TAP, is a grant for New York State residents attending college in-state. TAP awards at UB can be up to $5,665 per year (based on the 2023-2024 year) and is based on the family's New York State net taxable income and cost of tuition. TAP is tuition based, meaning it can only be applied toward tuition charges (not room and board/housing, fees, textbooks, etc). At UB, if tuition increases or a student's TAP award doesn't cover full tuition, the SUNY Tuition Credit may be applied.

The Excelsior Scholarship is a last source of funding to cover tuition for families with incomes up to $125,000. At UB, Excelsior covers any remaining tuition cost after Pell, TAP, and other grants. For example, if a student's tuition is $7,000 and they receive $5,000 from TAP and Pell, Excelsior would cover the remaining $2,000. To qualify, students must be NYS residents, attend full-time, complete at least 30 credits every year, and commit to live and work in New York for the number of years they received the scholarship for after graduation. The award is renewable for up to 4 years (for a bachelor's degree) as long as the student meets the ongoing requirements. As it is a last-dollar scholarship, students who already have full tuition covered by other sources of funding such as Pell and TAP may not receive additional funds from the Excelsior Scholarship.

The STEM Incentive Program provides a full tuition award to the top 10% of each NY high school, provided they enroll in an approved STEM degree at a SUNY/CUNY school (such as UB) and agree to work in a STEM job in New York State for at least 5 years after graduation. Students must be residents of NYS, maintain full-time enrollment in a STEM major, and meet a minimum GPA requirement of at least 2.5 per semester.

To receive state financial aid, you will need to fill out the HESC application at https://hesc.ny.gov

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 who are limited both academically and financially.

Scholarships

UB offers merit-based scholarships to students. High-achieving applicants may be considered for Undergraduate Merit Scholarships if they apply to UB by the scholarship deadline. These scholarships, such as the Presidential Scholarship and Provost Scholarship, are typically awarded based on high school GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and other achievements. The Presidential Scholarship requires its own application. UB also has an online scholarship portal (UB AcademicWorks) where current students can apply for dozens to many donor-funded and departmental scholarships, which may range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars and often require essays.

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 federal loans can be manageable. For those who still need loans after all Federal Direct Loans, Federal 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

The University at Buffalo provides a cloud-based printing service for students called UB Print Anywhere, utilizing Wepa (Wireless Everywhere Print Anywhere). This system allows students to print documents from their own devices or campus computers to any of the numerous print kiosks located across UB's campuses. Each student receives a print quota covered by the Technology Fee each semester, which covers a reasonable amount of printing. The printing infrastructure is intended to be convenient and accessible, as students can send print jobs from at home or on the go, then release them at a kiosk by swiping their UB card.

Print Quota and Covered Pages

Every enrolled UB student is allocated a print quota for printing each semester, which is paid for by the Technology Fee. The policy is the equivalent to 500 black-and-white pages (250 black-and-white sheets) if printed double-sided, or 200 black-and-white pages (100 black-and-white sheets) if printed double-sided for students enrolled in a summer course during the summer term. These quotas are intended to cover students' academic printing needs.

A Wepa "Print Anywhere" kiosk at UB. Students can send print jobs online and release them at any kiosk by swiping their UB Card, or can use the mobile app to print documents at the kiosk.

Printing Locations and Kiosks

There are 56 Wepa print station kiosks located between North Campus and South Campus. These include locations in libraries, computing centers, residence halls, and some academic buildings. For example, kiosks can be found in Lockwood Library and Silverman Library, the Student Union, residence hall lobbies, and hallways of large lecture buildings. Even some dorm complexes have a kiosk located within them for easy access. UB provides an online map of all Print Anywhere kiosk locations so that students can find the nearest one.

The print stations are branded with the blue-and-white UB bulls logo and have touchscreens where students log in, swipe their card, or otherwise interact with the printer to retrieve documents. They are self-service, such that students can see queued documents, select which to print, and adjust options such as number of copies via the touchscreen once logged in, if using the touchscreen instead of the mobile app. The kiosks support both black-and-white and color printing, and accept file formats such as PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, and images via Wepa Cloud.

Printing Jobs

Students have multiple ways to send documents to the UB Print Anywhere system. For example, they can upload files directly to the Wepa cloud print queue via the Wepa Print mobile app. The mobile app allows selecting options like double-sided vs single-sided, color vs black and white, and how many copies to print for each file. Students may also use the Wepa Print computer drivers if they install it on their personal computers, which lets them print from any application on the computer and choose a Wepa printer. The public computing sites and library computers at UB are configured to use the Wepa system. Furthermore, the kiosks themselves allow direct printing from USB storage such as a flash drive, using the kiosk interface to select files to print.

Costs and Paying for Printing

The cost structure for printing is $0.08 per page for single-sided black and white, $0.065 per page ($0.13 per sheet) for double-sided black and white, and $0.35 per side (regardless of whether single-sided or double-sided) for color printing. If students print in color, the quota will be used up faster (since color pages cost more). Once the quota is exhausted, the system will charge the student's Campus Cash account, if any is available - otherwise, the print will fail. As Campus Cash can only be added in denominations of $25, students should ensure they don't use too much of their quota, or they should have their own printer if potentially printing more than what the quota provides, as many students find it frustrating to be required to spend $25 for more printing when they only need a dollar or two.

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: Class Registration and Creating a Schedule

Note: Some sections of this guide are incomplete. Please feel free to contribute!

Course registration is conducted in the HUB Student Center (accessed via myUB). The UB registrar publishes detailed, step-by-step instructions for using HUB tools including class search, Schedule Builder, and the Shopping Cart. It also publishes term-specific enrollment appointment windows and registration-related deadlines.

The Schedule Builder in HUB is a method for searching courses and generating possible schedules, with functions including search criteria (e.g., campus/session/instruction mode), add break periods, generate schedules, validate selections and send selected classes to the Shopping Cart. The registrar defines the Academic Advisement Report (AAR) as the result of a degree audit against a student's current program plan, showing whether degree requirements have been satisfied. Students can view it in HUB via the Academic Progress tile. For hypothetical planning, the registrar provides a "What-If Report," described as a simulated version of the AAR that can model a different major/minor scenario ("Program Scenario") or evaluate how not-yet-taken courses.

UB assigns each student a specific date and time to begin registering in HUB, referred to as an Enrollment Appointment, visible in HUB within the Manage Classes tile. It is essential to register at 7:00 AM on the date of registration to ensure the best chance of getting each class, for reasons ranging from a more desirable time/professor to being able to graduate on time for a required course with limited availability. The Schedule Builder and Shopping Cart can and should be used in advance of class registration to allow for immediate enrollment at 7AM.

Holds, Eligibility Checks, Enrollment Blocks, and Waitlists

Registration holds are university actions that can prevent registration, resigning form classes, receiving grades and/or releasing records including transcripts and diplomas until resolved. Students can view hold details in HUB through the To-Do tile, where clicking a hold provides details and instructions for resolution.

Waitlists are an optional feature that departments can enable for specific classes (or sections of classes). When a course's enrollment is full, the waitlist becomes available until capacity is reached, and students may add themselves through the end of the Add / Drop period if space on the waitlist remains. Joining a waitlist does not guarantee enrollment, as students are automatically enrolled only if a seat opens before the end of Drop/Add and the student meets eligibility requirements when processed. A notification will be sent to the student's @buffalo.edu email.

The registrar's waitlist policy explains that even when a seat opens, HUB will not enroll a waitlisted student if there is a time conflict, a negative service indicator (including a hold), or other listed constraints - in this case, the seat will be immediately offered to the next eligible student on the waitlist, potentially leading to the inability for the affected student to register.

UB also places responsibility on the student to remove themselves from a waitlist if no longer interested. Failure to do so can result in enrollment for the semester and associated academic impacts or financial penalties if not dropped before the end of the add-drop period.

Drop-Add Period (Add-Drop Period), Course Resignation, and Repeating a Course

Note: This section is incomplete and does not include details on repeating a course. To the community: Please feel free to contribute!

During the drop-add period, a course is not dropped until the student processes the request in HUB. Students may add or drop courses between the enrollment appointment and 11:59 PM on the last day of the session's drop/add period, usually during the first week of classes. Courses dropped during this period do not carry financial responsibility.

Resigning a course, on the other hand, occurs after the drop/add deadline (before the resignation deadline) and may carry financial penalties, the severity of which depending on timing throughout the semester. Resigned grades also do not count toward academic load for reporting part-time or full-time status, which can cause further penalties regarding financial aid, scholarships, lending, and other financial assistance.

For example, resigning a 3-credit course wihle taking 14 credits may drop a student to 11 credits, which is considered part time. Some forms of financial aid require taking a certain number of Degree Applicable Credits (DACs), such that a student taking 17 credits, of which 11 are for their major and 6 are for a minor, could drop a 3-credit major-related course and only be taking 11 DACs (despite still taking 14 credits) and incur a financial penalty. This will depend on the major, however - contact the UB Financial Aid office and your Academic Advisor for more information. Some financial aid also requires a certain number of credits per year (e.g. 30 credits yearly).

Enrollment Automation and Late Registration

The registrar explicitly prohibits "registration using an automated process" (including but not limited to bots, scripted, and automation tools), stating that such use violates the Student Code of Conduct and Computing and Network Use Policy, and may result in a loss of registration access, deregistration from classes and disciplinary action.

Additional charges can be applied for late registration if a student does not register by published dates.

Undergraduate Step-by-Step Schedule Planning and Enrollment

To be written. To the community, please feel free to contribute!

Recommended to include: Screenshots with highlights/boxes/arrows/etc, how to start planning for a course, making a realistic schedule, using the schedule builder, sending classes to the shopping cart, and enrolling on the day of registration.

Starting notes for reference:

Undergraduate students must be registered for at least 12+ credits to be considered full-time, and recommends taking an average of 15 credits per semester to graduate within four years. Undergrads can register for a maximum of 19 credits in the fall and spring, with higher credit loads requiring an override from an academic advisor.

UB's registration preparation guidance recommends avoiding time conflicts and explicitly advises allowing one hour of travel time between North and South campus, with at least 30 minutes of travel time between the Spine and Ellicott Complex (including Academic Center) on North Campus. Instructors have the right to refuse entrance or attendance credit after the class start time.

Graduate/Professional Step-by-Step Schedule Planning and Enrollment

To be written. To the community, please feel free to contribute!

Recommended to include: Screenshots with highlights/boxes/arrows/etc, how to start planning for a course, making a realistic schedule, using the schedule builder, sending classes to the shpping cart, and enrolling on the day of registration.

Part IX: Summer Orientation and Welcome Weekend

First Year Summer Orientation

UB's First Year Summer Orientation is a two-day program held on campus in mid-July for students starting in the Fall semester. Multiple session dates are offered (such as several 2-day sessions throughout July) and students register in advance for the session that fits their schedule. Each session usually runs from the morning of Day 1 through the afternoon of Day 2. Students are encouraged to stay overnight in an on-campus residence hall during Orientation - this is included at no extra charge as it's part of the program. However, the dorm buildings may be extremely hot due to their lack of air conditioning, meaning students should prepare for a potentially hot night and bring a box fan if staying. UB assigns Orientation attendees (often the Governors Complex on North Campus) with a roommate for the one-night stay. Living on campus for the night allows new students to get a feel for residential life and continue participating in evening activities.

During the two-day orientation, students follow a structured schedule. On Day One, check-in typically occurs in the morning (such as 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at the Governors Complex). Students receive a welcome and join groups led by Orientation Leaders (OLs), who are current students trained to guide them. Throughout the day, sessions cover academic success strategies, such as faculty panels or advisor presentations on expectations in the UB classroom. There are also campus tours - OLs may take students around academic buildings, libraries, and student service offices so they can start familiarizing themselves with North Campus.

In the afternoon and evening of Day One, additional topics are covered, such as financial literacy (how to understand your bill, due dates, etc), tips for living on campus (for those living in the dorms) or commuting, and discussions about student life scenarios (such as social and personal challenges new students may face). Meals are provided during orientation - lunch at One World Cafe located inside Capen Hall, and dinner at the Crossroads Culinary Center (C3) dining hall. Day Two of Orientation includes additional workshops and informational sessions in the morning. By the early afternoon, orientation concludes, and students can check out various aspects of campus.

Online Orientation

If students cannot attend the July sessions, they may be able to complete an Online Orientation module in August, ensuring they still receive necessary information.

Welcome Weekend

UB Welcome Weekend is a multi-day program right before classes begin in the fall semester focused on welcoming all new students (including both first-year and transfer students) to campus life. It extends through the weekend with a series of events, workshops, and social activities. Participation is mandatory for freshmen, and UB explicitly states that new students are required to attend. This is when the majority of new students move into the residence halls and serves as a continuation and reinforcement of orientation.

For students living on campus, Welcome Weekend begins with Move-In Day. UB typically assigns move-in times over 1-2 days (for example, first-year move in might be Thursday and Friday). Once students have moved into dorms, the structured Welcome Weekend activities begin.

Informational Seminars and Workshops take place during Welcome Weekend to cover practical topics. Many students use the weekend to find their classrooms before the first day of their classes, and Orientation Leaders or Residential Advisors may lead tours to show where major academic buildings are, so students can locate the rooms on their class schedule. Students living on campus will have meetings with their Residential Advisors and floormates to cover residence hall rules, safety, and to get to know each other.

Additionally, UB makes sure there are fun activities each day and evening of Welcome Weekend. There is often Campus Fest, which is a fair with student-run clubs and organizations and campus departments that allows students to learn about clubs that may match their interests or hobbies.

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.
• Lockwood Library Lost and Found: You can go to the front desk on the 2nd floor of Lockwood Library to ask if they have seen 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.