<p>Anyone attended Preview yet ? What can DS & I expect?</p>
<p>The detailed Preview schedule is available digitally through GatorWay, a free mobile app (provided by UF’s New Student and Family Programs). To download, visit your device’s app store and search GATORWAY.</p>
<p>The first day begins with check-in, a resource fair and continental breakfast. Your student will be assigned a “group”. They will spend most of the day with the group, while family has separate sessions. On the first day, the student will have lunch with the group, while the parents are on their own. After lunch, students and family will have a chance to meet with two colleges (for Q&A). After that, they will have a break-out session, where you can choose to attend one of several sessions, that include, for example, sessions on Greek life, financial affairs, undergrad research or study abroad. Later in the day, you’ll head over to Jennings hall for check-in and dinner (at Broward). It’s a long day… </p>
<p>Day two includes a visit to Gator 1 Central, where the student will be able to take a photo for their Gator One UF Photo ID, open a Wells Fargo account, open a dinning meal plan, get a parking decal, etc. This is pretty much the only time you’ll spend with your student (and lunch), Otherwise they will have advising and be able to register for classes. The family can go through several more sessions, take a walking tour of campus, take a shuttle bus tour of downtown Gainesville, tour the residence halls, etc. At the end of the day, you meet back up with your student and can pick-up the class schedule confirmation. </p>
<p>Have students who have attended Preview found it difficult to find the courses they wanted at the times they wanted? How helpful are the academic advisors? When you attended a breakout session, which ones were the most informative?</p>
<p>My DD’s preview is scheduled for later in June, but I’ve talked with a few parents that went through it in May (Summer B enrollments). They didn’t have any complaints about the advisors, but it’s the students that work with them, they also didn’t have any issues with getting classes. I may send my daughter to the study abroad session (she really wants to do it), while I attend the undergraduate research session (or maybe the Florida Pre-Paid session). </p>
<p>I actually came back this morning, so I have first hand experience. This was a Summer B enrollment period, they are registering for fall as well. Also, the Lombardi scholars are registering for their summer abroad and fall. So although this is a summer registration, there is also fall registrations going on as well. The information that was given above as to the Gatorway app is extremely accurate. They follow the schedule to the T. Late nights for the kids-I believe my daughter finished at 11pm and it was a little too structured, in my opinion, for the kids. They did not get to tour the area, the dorms, etc. The parents get these options(to tour), but the kids don’t. The kids must go to alot of sessions, some helpful, some not helpful at all (according to not only my daughter but several other students). My sessions were okay. For the most part not anything I couldn’t find online, but every once in awhile, one thing during a session was said that was valuable. @gator88ne I would recommend the other financial overview in place of the florida prepaid one. Half the session got up and walked out because the people running it could not answer questions-there was a lady in the audience doing all the answering-she must’ve been there done that already LOL. But the other financial aid session going on at the same time (which we all went to when we got up and left the prepaid session) was much more informative, and interactive. Overall, I would say I got a MUCH more informative preview than my daughter but she did get to do some things that will help her be ready for the fall (already having gator 1 and checking in place). She was disappointed in the scheduling portion-she did not receive the “advice” that she thought she would get and instead they told her what classes she took were her decisions and only provided light guidance. Many of the classes that she asked, “what’s the difference between this or this” they answered that they were “pretty much the same”-which made her feel like perhaps the people she asked didn’t know and instead of finding the answer, just pushed her through the process. Many classes are already booked for fall, including one that all students have to take as a mandatory class during freshman year (what is the good life). Maybe some spots will open up but many kids are preparing to “stalk ISIS” so it’s called to find classes that were booked and to switch to more favorable times. (Many schedules are spread out and all different times). My best advice is to have your child research classes in advance and have a several backups researched to replace the classes that are unavailable. I will say however, that everyone was super friendly and we got alot of life/living on campus tips. </p>
<p>@floridamomof3 I forgot to mention my daughter went to the greek life breakout while I struggled with the financial ones and she got alot of info about rush, costs, etc. Her friend went to the study abroad session and said she didn’t get anything at all out of it. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Huge help @kimpt70. Thank you. We go this Tuesday. My son can’t wait to be a Gator! Maybe our paths will corss @Gator88!</p>
<p>@floridamomof3 I hope you and D have a great time in Gainesville and a safe trip. 
We’re scheduled for 6/19-20 (Thursday/Friday), I wanted a 4 day weekend, and will be driving her and her roommate up for the session.</p>
<p>I had planned on following kimp70’s advice; we’ve been researching her classes in advance and will have a several backups or “plans” ready. She really only needs two “critical tracking” classes (Calc and Chem+Lab), everything else is flexible. </p>
<p>@kimp70 Thanks for the advice! I’ll scratch off the pre-paid session and likely go to the financial session. I worried that the study abroad session could be too basic, so perhaps she can attend the student research session (or the financial session).</p>
<p>Gator88NE: I’m going for June 19 and 20 as well! :)</p>
<p>You mentioned that the student will be assigned a group. If I’m going with my friend/roommate, does that mean we will be separated most of the time?</p>
<p>@Duckyy You’ll be separated for at least for part of the day, if you’re both assigned to different groups. However, you’ll have plenty of chances to get back together each day, plus you’ll be able to do all of the late night activities (at Jennings Hall) together.</p>
<p>Back from Preview and both DS & I are exhausted but happy. As the above posts said, the schedule does follow the schedule that’s on the Gatorway app except one of the first speakers told us that we would be finished by 4:30 the next day instead of at 5pm and that proved to be true. For those of you attending without a parent, there were loads of students attending Preview without a parent. DS and I attended with his roommate & his mother and although the guys were in different groups, their paths crossed frequently during the 2 days. Also, @Duckyy, let your group Preview staffer know you want to room with a friend from another group & they will tell you how to arrange it. DS roomed with his friend and they made the best of the really long first day together.There were great speakers & then some not so great ones, but I took @kimp70 's advice & realized there was at least one important point from each speaker that I could not have learned from just the printed materials… Our very favorite session was the one given by the Engineering Dept ( DS is an Exploratory Engineering major). The faculty advisor and student speakers were excellent and gave us loads of pertinent info to make good decisions for my DS’s schedule. He was able to register for every class he wanted, including The Good Life, the required freshmen course. They open up spots each session & I guess he lucked up & the timing was right to get what he needed at the times he wanted.
When we left, I came home feeling like DS will be well taken care of and surprisingly, I feel like I am now part of the Gator Nation, even just as a Gator Mom. DS said the most important thing he took away from it was how ready he is to get started in the fall and how he made the right decision to attend UF. Go Gators!</p>
<p>Thank you @Gator88NE and @floridamomof3 for the info. </p>
<p>The packing list for preview includes a photo ID. My passport has expired and (embarrassingly) I don’t have a driver license either. Do you know if there are other acceptable forms of ID, such as a birth certificate or a high school student card? </p>
<p>DS said UF allows you to use your school photo ID for your Gator ID.</p>
<p>@floridamomof3 Welcome to the Gator Nation! :)</p>
<p>@Duckyyy Your school photo ID should work, but you could also go to the DMV, early next week (if an appointment is available) and pickup a Florida ID card. Even if you don’t pick one up for Preview, it’s good to have (till you get a driver’s ID card).</p>
<p><a href=“Apply for a New Florida Identification Card | DMV.ORG”>http://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/id-cards.php</a></p>