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Before Your First Semester

Welcome to Boise State

We are excited to have you become part of our community! Below, we are providing  you with knowledge, skills, and resources to help create a positive first semester experience. If you have any questions or cannot find what you are looking for, reach out to our office:

New Student Orientation

While making the decision to join our Bronco community, New Student Orientation programs provide invaluable information that will help you understand transitioning to the university, registering for classes, and getting connected with various resources available to you. Follow the links below for more information.

Prepare For Orientation                           Sign-Up For Orientation

Understanding Your Class Schedule

After you complete registering for classes, an important skill to have is knowing how to read and understand your schedule. First, here is a helpful link to show how to print your class schedule and view it online. Print my class schedule guide.

Below is a brief description on how to read the different parts and acronyms for your classes:

Screen shot of class schedule - full description on page
  1. COURSE SUBJECT, NUMBERING SYSTEM, AND COURSE SECTION: This indicates the department or academic unit offering the course, the number system (i.e. 100–199 freshman-level courses, 200–299 sophomore-level courses, etc.), and the course section (some courses have multiple sections of the same class). The example expresses CHEM 112 with a section number of 004.
  2. CLASS COMPONENTS AND CLASS NUMBER: This indicates the components of the class (i.e. LEC = Lecture, LAB = Laboratory) and the specific class number. The example above includes a Lecture and shows the specific number is 76924.
  3. COURSE SCHEDULE: Here the day of the week and the time of the course schedule are listed. When viewing your class schedule, the time and day of week will be expressed on the right side of your class title and section.
  4. CLASS LOCATION: This will provide you where the class is located and be sure to check out our campus map to know where you are going (more information below). The class location can be found underneath the time and day of the week.
  5. MODE OF INSTRUCTION/CLASS TYPE: This indicates the format of your class, whether that be online, in-person, remote, hybrid, and more. Learn more about the different mode of instructions here. The example above expresses that the modality of the class is listed under the time and day of the week.

Consider Bronco BASE Camp (ACAD 101)

Bronco BASE Camp is a 1-credit, 1st 5 week course that helps prepare first-year students to reach their academic goals and set a course for success in their first semester! The course is intentionally held during the first five weeks of class to allow students time to reflect on their initial academic experiences and apply new strategies for success to their first semester courses. Topics will include: reflecting on the transition to university life, exploration of campus resources and opportunities, and application of time management strategies and basic study skills. A permission number is required to enroll; please see the link below for more details.

Learn more about Bronco BASE Camp