September

• Explore leadership positions and involvement opportunities.
• Call and make your first appointment with your advisor. Getting to know your advisor can be a critical component of academic success.
• Students may request to add a class in the first week. Students may drop a course through the second week. Check the Registrar's web page for important dates and information related to adding and dropping.
• If you are on Academic Probation, make an appointment to meet with your advisor and develop strategies for success.
• Prepare for your advising meeting.
• Arrive on time for your advising meeting.
• Review Academic Policies in the online USM catalog.
• Gather all your syllabi, and enter dates for all papers, projects, and tests on a monthly calendar. This time management method will help you map out the assignments that build your grade for each course.
• Call to schedule an October meeting with your advisor.
• Winter Session registration begins.
• Identify your academic goals for this semester.
• Plan your academic career using the Graduation Planner.

October

• Meet with your advisor. Come prepared with questions and your Graduation Planner.
• If you receive an Academic Alert notice, call for an appointment right away so your advisor can help you to develop an academic improvement plan to succeed in your classes.
• Many mid-term exams are given in October; set additional study time aside for yours.
• Check important dates on the Registrar's web page. Such as:
• advanced registration for spring classes
• final exam week
• withdrawing from a fall class
• Check application deadlines for scholarships.
• Schedule an advanced registration appointment to work with your advisor so you will be ready to register for next semester's courses on your eligible date.
• Winter Session registration continues.

November

• Be sure you have properly prepared for your advanced registration appointment.
• Arrive on time for your advanced registration appointment.
• Register for classes on your eligible date.
• Add dates of final exams to your personal planner.
• With the semester more than half over, this is a good time to assess your academic abilities, interests, and motivation.

December

• Prepare end of the semester projects and study for your finals.
• Grades will be posted on MaineStreet. Check yours.
• The Deans' offices assess student academic performance and notify students regarding:
• Dean's List
• Probation
• Suspension
• Dismissal
• Review the goals you set for yourself earlier in the semester. Assess your academic performance by measuring it against those goals. Construct goals for the next semester based on your assessment.

January

• Identify your goals for this semester.
• Students may request to add a class in the first week. Students may drop a course through the second week. Check the Registrar's web page for important dates and information related to adding and dropping.
• If you are on Academic Probation, make an appointment to meet with your advisor and develop strategies for success.
• Gather all your syllabi, and enter dates for all papers, projects, and tests on a monthly calendar. This time management method will help you map out the assignments that build your grade for each course.
• Check deadlines and file applications for available scholarship opportunities.
• To continue any financial aid, file your FAFSA.

February

• Make an appointment to update your advisor on your academic progress before February break begins.
• If you receive an Academic Alert notice, call for an appointment right away so your advisor can help you locate the resources that will help you to succeed in your classes.
• Many mid-term exams are given in late February and early March; set additional study time aside for yours.
• Check important dates on the Registrar's web page, such as:
• withdrawing from a class
• advanced registration for summer and fall classes
• exam week
• Commencement. Applying for graduation is required.
• Explore Summer Session offerings for courses and credit-bearing travel opportunities.

March

• Schedule an appointment to be ready to register for next semester's courses on your eligible date.
• Review important dates on the Registrar's web page, such as:
• withdrawing from a class
• advanced registration for summer and fall classes
• exam week
• Commencement. Applying for graduation is required.
• Explore Summer Session offerings for courses and credit-bearing travel opportunities.
• Review summer and year-round leadership positions and involvement opportunities.
• Prepare for your advanced registration appointment.
• Summer Session registration begins.
• Remember, classes fill up quickly. To help insure you get the classes you want, register for classes as soon as possible.

April

• Arrive on time for your advanced registration appointment. Bring your Wish List and Degree Progress Report.
• Register for classes on your eligible date.
• Summer Session registration continues.
• Remember, classes fill up quickly. To help insure you get the classes you want, register for classes as soon as possible.
• Meet with your academic advisor before the semester ends.
• Add dates of final exams to your personal planner

May

• Prepare end of the semester projects and study for final exams.
• First Summer Session begins in the middle of the month.
• Attend Commencement. Celebrate your accomplishments.
• Grades will be posted on MaineStreet.
• The Deans' offices assess student academic performance and notify students regarding:
• Dean's List
• Probation
• Suspension
• Dismissal
• Review the goals you set for yourself earlier in the semester. Assess your academic performance by measuring it against those goals. Construct goals for the next semester based on your assessment.

June-July-August

• Summer Session continues.
• Check the Registrar's and the Summer Session web pages to verify dates and information related to adding, dropping, and withdrawing summer classes.
• Summer grades are posted after the end of each session.
• Orientation for new students occurs in July.

September

• Add/Drop is taking place through the first two weeks of classes.
• Contact and support, or refer, as appropriate, continuing advisees who may be at risk, on probation, or otherwise are experiencing academic difficulty. The Academic Alert process can be helpful for newly-admitted students who experience difficulty.
• Consider encouraging departmental community by scheduling student-faculty group gatherings during the semester.
• Winter Session Registration begins.

October

• Continue to connect one-on-one with advisees (either initial or follow up meetings). Work with advisees to prepare and give approval for their advance registration for the Spring semester.
• Academic alert extends throughout the semester. In addition to indicating possible academic risk for students in the classes you teach, you may receive similar notices about students whom you advise. Intervention strategies may help avert some problems, so consider scheduling appointments with your at-risk advisees (probation, returning from suspension) for referral to resources.
• Winter Session Registration continues.

Last Date to Withdraw. Check to confirm the official last date to withdraw without academic penalty.

November

• Depending on the number of your advisees, advance registration appointments may continue into November. Matriculated students register for spring courses beginning about the middle of this month.
• Winter Session Registration continues

December

• Consider sponsoring a departmental effort to contact continuing majors who have not yet registered.
• In late December, terms grades are posted; Winter Session begins.

January

• Typically, during the first week of the month, grades have been posted and GPA's are updated. Then the Deans' offices take appropriate academic action based on University and departmental requirements. Some of your advisees may achieve Dean's List status; some may receive notice of academic action (probation, suspension, dismissal). Your Dean's office may inform you of any advising responsibilities you may have in connection with your Dean's actions.
• About a week before Spring semester begins, Orientation is held for incoming students, both transfer and first-year. As appropriate within your department, you may be participating in Orientation and/or reviewing folders of new majors.
• Non-matriculated students register during Open Registration period.
• Spring semester begins, and Add/Drop period is the first two weeks of classes.
• As appropriate per departmental policy, consider meeting early in the semester with advisees who are on Academic Probation to guide them through the academic recovery process. Consider encouraging departmental community by scheduling student-faculty group gatherings during the semester.

February

• Academic alert extends throughout the semester. In addition to indicating possible academic risk for students in the classes you teach, you may receive similar notices about your own advisees. Early intervention strategies may help avert some problems, so consider scheduling appointments with your at-risk students and advisees for referral to resources.

March

• Begin to work with current advisees to prepare and give approval for advance registration for fall semester and summer session.

Last Date to Withdraw. Check to confirm the official last date to withdraw without academic penalty.

April

• Fall and Summer Session registration begins.
• Continue to hold advance registration appointments as matriculated students register for fall courses.

May

• Typically, by the end of this month, grades have been posted and GPA's are updated. Then the Deans' offices take appropriate academic action based on University and departmental requirements. Some of your advisees may achieve Dean's List status; some may receive notice of academic action (probation, suspension, dismissal). Your Dean's office may inform you of                     any advising responsibilities you may have in connection with your Dean's                 actions.

June-July-August

• Continue to meet with advisees as appropriate. Consider sponsoring a departmental effort to contact continuing majors who have not yet registered.
• Participation in Orientation takes place in July and August. This is the time to review folders of incoming advisees. Faculty usually meet new students during the School/College and Departmental Advising sessions on orientation days.
• Remember that non-matriculated students will be free to register (with appropriate prerequisites) for any open seats after the last Orientation day in August.