The more prepared you are before Orientation, the more successful an enrollment experience you will have during your New Student Orientation. 

Yes - this checklist is long! But taking the time NOW - before Orientation - to be sure you check off each item means you'll have a smoother, less-frustrating, and more awesome Orientation. Be Enrollment Ready!

 Before Orientation 

• Check your technology. You'll use many different tools to participate in orientation. Plan now to make your Orientation experience a success.
  • Confirm your logins - both your myUH numerical ID and your cougarnet ID.
  • Set up AccessUH to access UH technology tools.
  • Get your UH email set up so you won't miss a message.
  • Download UHGo to easily access university information and services from the convenience of a mobile device. The UH Go app is your fast pass to everything UH. You can find and pay for meals, view your grades and explore life on campus.
  • Download the Navigate Student app to check off to-dos, find UH resources, and make appointments (Note: You'll receive advising during Orientation, so you will not see see your major listed in appointments until after Orientation).
  • Download and have ready both Microsoft Teams and Zoom on your mobile device and desktop.
    
    
• Submit your transfer coursework. If you have transfer coursework, including dual credit, submit your electronic college transcript(s) as soon as possible for review by the Office of Admissions.
  • Please allow at least 15-20 business days in advance of your orientation to allow processing of your official transcripts. Check the status on your Transfer Credit tab in your myUH Student Center
  • If you arrive at orientation and your transfer coursework is not yet posted - no worries! You'll enroll in all other courses and pick up those courses that require your transfer prerequistes when that credit is posted.
  • IMPORTANT: High school transcripts that show dual credit coursework cannot be used to document transfer coursework—UH must have your college transcripts to make it all official.
    
    
• Submit your test credit.
  • Have your AP scores sent to UH immediately (if you didn't have them sent when you took the exams) so that you can use that credit when you enroll at New Student Orientation.
    • Most AP credit is assigned by UH automatically to your account once your submitted scores are received (Code: 6870) - check your myUH account (Admissions tab and down to Test Results) to monitor that the credit has been applied correctly. 
    • Note: Scores that you elected to send to UH for AP exams just taken this year will be received in July. If you attend orientation prior to July, you'll need to enroll in courses without that prerequisite, and then once your scores are in, you can go back and adjust your schedule as needed. 
    • At your New Student Orientation, discuss your credit strategy with your college advisors so that you understand how the credit works with your degree plan (e.g., some students decide to take the UH course instead of accepting the course credit.)
  • For IB credit, contact the Testing Services director at PNDaniel@Central.UH.EDU for individual review. The individual review process takes time, so get this process started well in advance of your New Student Orientation.
  • For more information on credit by exam, please consult the UH Undergraduate Catalog Credit by Exam section for a list of test scores eligible for course credit.
    
    
• Resolve any enrollment holds. Check to be sure that you do not have any holds preventing enrollment. Log into your myUH account and navigate to the Student Center, from the menu on the right locate the “Holds” section to view holds.
  • There are three holds associated with orientation and advising. Don't worry about these holds before Orientation - by completing the Pre-Orientation modules, you will remove the Pre-Orientation hold, and successful completion of Orientation and attending your college welcome meeting will remove the Orientation and Advising holds from your account.  
  • For Bacterial Meningitis holds: upload documentation to your To-Do List on the right side of your myUH account.
  • For TSI holds: send exemption documentation to TSI@uh.edu and see the UH TSI page for more information. 
    
    
• Take any required placement tests. Some courses require placement testing in order to place you at the correct course level. Plan to take these exams as early as possible—most should be completed at last two weeks before your scheduled New Student Orientation to ensure that you are prepared to enroll in courses.
  • Math Placement: All first-year students who plan to enter a major in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics or the Cullen College of Engineering (including certain majors within the Technology Division) or who plan to take calculus-based math and science courses as electives must take the Math Placement Exam. Confirm whether you need to take a Math Placement Exam below:
    • Math Placement Guide (PDF)
    • Math Placement FAQs
    • See if a Math Placement Exam is required for your Major
    • Questions? email mathinfo@uh.edu
  • Language Placement: You must take a language placement test in order to be placed in the appropriate level language course. See the Examination List, click Institutional Placement/Departmental Credit Tests, and select the desired language.
  • Other Placement Testing: See UH Testing Services to see whether placement testing is required for any courses you plan to take and to understand when and how to take each exam.

• Thinking about changing your major?
  • If considering a change of major, the timing related to your Orientation matters, and the earlier you act, the better. You must request any changes of major at least two weeks prior to your scheduled Orientation. See the Change of Major page to understand options and timelines.
    
    
• Read and complete all Pre-Orientation Modules. Your college will expect you to have completed all Pre-Orientation modules, as well as all directions sent by your college, before they see you at Orientation.  

 Be Enrollment SET! 

• Enrollment Step #1: Know your degree requirements
  • Review your degree requirements with your 4-year Academic Map for your major, or any other checklists or guides your college has provided you.
  • Look up each course you plan to take in the UH Undergraduate Catalog to be sure that you have met the prerequisite requirements.
    
    
• Enrollment Step #2: Plan your degree
  • Identify at least your first and second semester courses from your 4-year Academic Map or any other checklists or guides your college has provided you. 
  • If you already have credit for some required courses, such as through dual credit or test credit, you'll just look to your next semester on your Academic Map and replace courses for which you already have credit with courses listed in later terms so that you can have a full-time enrollment of 15 hours each term.
    
    
• Enrollment Step #3: Build your ideal schedule with Schedule Builder
  
  • One of the things that surprises first year students the most is that you get to design your own schedule.
    • In high school, your school tells you when to show up for each class.
    • However, in college, your major will tell you what courses to take, but you choose which sections and what times to take those courses.
    • Having this many choices is great! You can choose to start classes a little later so you can sleep in or you might have some gaps in some days where you can plan for some study time.
    • But having this many choices is also overwhelming...the process of putting together your schedule can be a bit of a puzzle. Planning in advance is a must!
  • Use the Schedule Builder in your Student Center to map out your best schedule - block out days and times you can't attend class, and review multiple options to find your most workable schedule. Favorite the schedules that will work.
  • Prepare a list of backup schedules with backup sections and courses in case your first course choices are full by the time you attend Orientation.
    
    

 During Orientation 

 GO for Enrollment! 

• Enrollment Step #4: Enroll in your first semester courses.
  • Review your planned and scheduled courses to make sure all courses are still available. Your advising team will be there to help, so ask questions as you go!
  • Go back to your the Schedule Builder in your Student Center and locate your favorite schedule. Check the checkbox next to each of the classes you would like to enroll in, click "Enroll," and click Validate to make sure you are eligible for each course.
  • Be patient with this process – you may be able to enroll in some of the sections you chose right away, but you may find that other sections are full. This is all completely normal! Have a list of backup sections and courses in case your first choices are full.
  • Don't leave Orientation without all of your courses! You will have greater course availability if you enroll right away at Orientation rather than leaving with a partial schedule. You can make any changes you like to your schedule all the way until the new term begins.
  • Payment for your first term courses is not due until right before that term begins, so enroll now!

Be Enrollment Ready! Orientation is just the first step on your path to success at University of Houston!