Hello and Welcome All,
This is the homepage of the Office of Retention and Student Success and we are so glad you have stopped by for a visit! Please come back often.
The goal of this office is to increase your success at completing your college career. We have many pages with valuable advice that are available to you. You will find them in the menu above. We have also included many documents that may be viewed/downloaded directly from this page. Follow the links and advice posted here to get the most out your educational experience on this campus and beyond.
You are also invited to come by our office in the Student Services building for a personal, one-on-one visit.
If you have any questions, please fill out the form below, and we will get back to you.
Links for Success
- Being Pro-active
- College Success and You
- NMSU-A Aggie Jargon
- NMSU-A Campus Resources
- NMSU-A Success Tips
Documents
- Expectations and Tips
- How to Create a Daily To Do List
- Setting Goals
- Student Checklist for Graduation
Being Pro-active
- Attend Class
- Know your degree plan
- Attend Class
- Visit with an advisor
- Attend Class
- Complete a Star Degree Audit at the beginning and ending of each semester
- Attend Class
- Visit the Academic Support Center
- Attend Class
- Utilize your instructors’ office hours
- Attend Class
- Ask questions
- Attend Class
- Join a support group, organization, or study group
- Attend Class
- Don’t just memorize material; apply concepts to your own life
- Attend Class
- Complete readings and assignments before class
- Attend Class
- Don’t Give Up!
College Success and You
Being successful in college does not happen by accident. You must have a plan and be prepared to see that plan to completion. The days of taking a fun road trip with your buddies, a six pack of cola, and a bag of potato chips is over. It is time to map out where you want to go in life. Any good plan should include setting goals (PDF) and being pro-active.
The first step in setting goals is to determine your long term goals. Why are you going to college? What are you going to do with your college degree? Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years? After determining your long term goals, begin to create your plan. This is when you will determine the steps needed to reach your long term goals. These would be called short term goals. From these short term goals, you will be able to create to-do lists.
For example, you have determined your long term goal is to be a speech writer. You are planning on writing presidential speeches for a career. To reach this long term goal, you will need to the set a short term goal of going to college. The decision of attending college creates the need for even smaller short term goals (i.e., completing each semester successfully); which, in turn, creates a need for a daily to-do list. These to-do lists increase the odds that you will be pro-active in your college career and successful at meeting your long term goals.
NMSU-A Aggie Jargon
- ADH Assistant Division Head. This person(s) assists the division head.
- Aggie/Pistol Pete – This is our University team name and mascot.
- ALHA When you have a course with the classroom designation beginning with ALHA, this means you have enrolled in a course on Holloman Air Force Base. This also means you need to apply for a pass prior to the start of class. Contact the admissions office for more information.
- ASC Academic Support Center. Need help? Start here.
- Banner This is where you find pertinent information about you. You can view your unofficial transcripts, update your contact information, and check your nmsu.edu e-mail. You can also register online for classes.
- Canvas LMS used to access online/hybrid courses.
- CB Classroom Building. These are the classrooms surrounding the Patio Area.
- Class Schedule This is a smaller book containing the dates, times, and places that courses are offered. This is used to plan your current semester schedule.
- Course Catalog This is a book that contains important information about the university, degree plans, and descriptions of courses. This is used to plan your college career.
- DH Division head. The person who holds this title oversees certain division within the university. There are currently three on this campus.
- FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This application needs to be completed for each scholastic year (i.e.; Fall 2011/Spring 2012)
- Glass House This is the room on the Westside of the Patio Area encased in glass. This area is there for you to sit and study, relax, and meet with friends. Occasionally, a student organization will hold meetings here.
- ICT Information and Community Technologies. This is who to call when you are having Banner and/or Canvas login issues; 575-646-1840.
- Instructors The person who teaches your course(s)
- LTC Learning Technology Center. This office is located in the CB on the south end of the patio. This is the place to go to get help learning Canvas and other issues.
- LMS Learning Management System. (i.e., Canvas)
- MyNMSU.edu – This is the University portal to the Banner system.
- SS – Student Services. Student Services is located in the same building as the bookstore (upstairs). Student Services encompasses Admissions, Financial Aid, Advising, Student Success office, and Student Organizations.
- Star Audit – A Star Audit is an informative way to track your process to a degree. You will need to activate your myNMSU account to access this tool.
- Student YOU!
- Syllabus/Syllabi This is a document that instructors give to students which contains important class and university information. This document is a contract between the student and the instructor. More than one syllabus are syllabi.
NMSU-A Campus Resources
Adult Education (AE)
GED classes and testing, English as a Second Language, Basic computer literacy classes and high school refresher and employment skills.
Visit Web Page
Financial Aid
Scholarships, Federal Aid, help in completing FAFSA, questions regarding aid, MUST HAVE A PHOTO ID!!
Visit Web Page
Admissions & Records
Pick a field of study, select, drop or add classes, transfer questions, help understanding NMSUA policies, procedures and deadlines, help connecting with resources and in and out of the classroom, compass testing tickets, holds, degree audits and checks
Visit Web Page
Academic Success Center (ASC)
Tutoring, performs compass tests, student skills workshops, writing assistance, science, history, and math help., first come, first serve basis.
Visit Web Page
Business Office
Pay your student account; take off AR holds, answer questions about school in general.
Visit Web Page
Language Lab
Help with learning foreign languages. Contact HSSE for lab hours.
Call For More Information
Learning Technology Center (LTC)
Canvas Training, campus internet access assistance, and help with classroom technology.
Visit Web Page
Townsend Library
Offers online magazine and journal article access, database access, research assistance, study and group meeting space, computers, books, and more.
Visit Web Page
Z-Trans (Bus Service)
Provides local public transportation. Call for route info or pick up route booklet off buses.
Visit Web Page
NMSU-A Success Tips
- Visit with an advisor. Use the tools provided by the Advising department.
- Check your NMSU e-mail regularly.
- Always attend class, sit close to the front of the class, and be on time.
- Read and consult your syllabus regularly.
- Complete all readings and assignments before coming to class.
- Never miss an exam.
- Take notes and review them.
- Work to understand material; don’t just memorize.
- Apply what you learn to your life.
- Work on managing your time wisely-allow time for study, review, and assignments.
- Ask questions and communicate with your instructor.
- Know and use instructor’s office hours.
- Contact your instructor if you are going to absent.
- If you miss a class, get notes from a classmate.
- Form a study group with other classmates.
- Visit the Academic Support Center regularly.
- Attend Canvas workshops/orientations.
- Get and stay organized.
- Observe drop/withdrawal dates.
- DON’T GIVE UP!
