First Things to do upon Arrival in Gainesville

Get your Gator1 ID.

Apply for your Gatorlink account (you may also want to apply f or a NERDC account).

If you want to park on campus, buy your parking decal.

Get your books. Options include Goering's, the UF Bookstore, The Floirida Bookstore, and online text book outlets (like Amazon, half.com and textbooks.com).

Pay or Defer your fees (go to the financial services section of ISIS then click "Debts").

Even if you will be receiving a tuition waiver and stipend from the department, you remain responsible for paying certain fees, which are usually between $200 and $450, depending primarily on residency status. These fees are usually due around the third week of class. Be forewarned: you will not receive any notification that these fees are due. Furthermore, if your fee payment is late, you will be charged a late fee of $100. Therefore, you should pay your fees before the rest of the student body arrives, at which time two-hour lines will be the norm. If you need more time to pay your fees, you can usually receive a deferment of about eight weeks. You must apply for a deferment before fees are due and in person at the Finance Office. Again, do so before the rest of the student body arrives in town. For more information regarding the required fees or a deferment, call the Finance Office at (352) 392-1275.

Take Steps to Establish Florida Residency (for U.S. citizens of a state other than FL). Being a resident of FL lowers your tuition fees. First, file a "Declaratinon of Domicile" at the Alachua County Courthouse in Downtown Gainesville (201 E. University Avenue). Second, make a copy of your lease (or title) and over the next year set up a bank account (see the banking section) in Gainesville, get a FL driver's license (call the DMV to set up an appointment and the whole process will be less painful) and get auto insurance for FL. Third, after you've been in Gainesville about a year (before the beginning of the fall semester of your second year), go to Criser Hall and fill our the appropriate paperwork.