Incoming Students

New Student Welcome is an opportunity to join fellow new students in getting oriented to the college, make friends and build your community through our welcome events. Meet upperclass students, faculty and staff in your department, and learn more about what your education experience with us will entail.

This day will likely be overwhelming for you and/or your guests. There will be a lot going on. That’s OK. In addition to getting oriented to campus, you will have the opportunity to visit with the College of Engineering for several hours throughout the day. While the some of this time will be spent with current engineering students learning more about items relating to academic success, student involvement, faculty interactions, study abroad, and career development; you will also be advised into classes by an academic advisor and register for classes. Prior to NSE, your advisor will review your transcripts (to include any dual-enrollment, AP, and IB credit) and work with you in a one-on-one environment during NSE to build your fist semester schedule. You will walk away from NSE with a schedule of classes.

College of Engineering faculty, staff, and current students will meet with your guests for about 35 minutes and eat lunch with them as well.

In short, our best advice is to stay engaged and don’t worry if you feel as though you’ve missed or forgot something. That’s the reason for this website. As always, if you have any questions after NSE, please give us a call at 402-472-3160.

You will receive your advisor's contact information when you select classes at New Student Enrollment. It’s important to connect with your academic advisor to ensure you’re on the right path to your goals. Your advisor is largely determined by the academic program you are pursuing and your year in school. You can always find your academic advisor by logging into Student Success Hub (SSH).

If you don't have access to SSH, are unsure who your academic advisor is, or have difficulty scheduling an appointment with your academic advisor, contact the Engineering Student Services office at (402) 472-3160.

If you’re having buyer’s remorse about specific classes you enrolled in during New Student Enrollment, or whether you need to change your schedule due to a work conflict, contact your academic advisor via phone or email immediately. By contacting your advisor immediately, you will ensure that you are:

• Registering for the correct courses and sections that will satisfy your degree requirements;
• Still taking a full course load in order to retain your scholarships and financial aid;
• Setting yourself up for success by not taking too many credit hours during your first term.

You can connect with your advisor directly, or contact the Engineering Student Services Office at 402-472-3160.

The first week of class should be focused on two things - starting healthy habits and expanding your network. The engineering curriculum is difficult so it will be important that you establish healthy study habits immediately. This includes making sure you know where your classes are located, showing up to class on time, taking time to understand your course syllabi, and taking time to study even if you don’t have homework. It is also important to locate all of the resources on campus that will help you be successful should you need some help.

You will have an opportunity to expand your network at UNL and in the College of Engineering by attending Big Red Welcome events and “Rock the Block” - an annual event to welcome all engineering students for the fall term. You will have plenty of opportunity to get involved and expand your network throughout the semester and your first year, but it never hurts to make new friends on your residence hall floor and/or in class.

There are three levels of admission associated with the College of Engineering that you need to be aware of:

1. University Admission: All applicants to UNL must meet specific requirements to be accepted. Requirements can be found at http://admissions.unl.edu
2. College Admission: All applicants to the College of Engineering must meet specific requirements to be accepted. These requirements are located at http://engineering.unl.edu/undergraduate/admission-requirements/.
3. Professional Admission to the engineering-specific degree program (i.e. Agricultural Engineering).

Once admitted to the College of Engineering, all students need to demonstrate proficiency in their first-and-second year courses to be professionally admitted to their degree program. GPA and course requirements to be considered for professional admission vary from program-to-program. Your advisor will speak with you about professional admission and the requirements for your degree program during your first advising appointment. You can read more about professional admission in the UNL Bulletin at http://bulletin.unl.edu/undergraduate/college/Engineering#academic-programs--policies.

The college has created the following suggestions for students buying a new computer to bring to campus and classes. If you are in The School of Computing, the program has a computer policy specific to the major you need to follow.

All other engineering majors are encouraged to consider the following suggestions:

• You may choose either a notebook or desktop computer. Suggestions for Purchasing a Computer
• There is not a single specification set regarding a personal computer for use in your UNL studies. Most incoming students now use a notebook for portability. Most computers will be adequate since most of the work will be word processing, spreadsheets, email, and web surfing. The more memory you can get, the better (16GB or more).
• If you think you will be doing any CAD work on your computer, it may be beneficial to make sure that you have a good video card installed, especially for a notebook; notebook video usually can't be easily upgraded later. Note, however, the college computer labs already have the software you will need.
• If you get a smaller screen size on the notebook for portability, it can be beneficial to get an external monitor for home use, ensure the notebook connection type supports the video input of the monitor.
• The computer you use should come with at least Wi-Fi 6.
• The computer you use should come with at least 802.11g wireless networking (WiFi), but 802.11n is newer, faster, and the campus is moving to that standard.

• A good warranty is a major advantage. You may want to consider next-day service to lessen the amount of time you may have to be without your computer. It usually costs more but can pay for itself with peace of mind versus lost productivity.

• In case something does happen to your device, you should have an external drive or cloud-based service for backup.

To the best of our knowledge, no other departments in math, sciences, engineering, business, or quantitative subjects have specific requirements for calculators. Some instructors may have preferences for one brand or model of calculator. Speak with faculty in these departments if you have questions about the best calculator for these classes.

1. TI-82: This is a general purpose graphing calculator used in many high schools. This calculator is satisfactory for all math classes. All advanced uses, especially in calculus, are possible for the TI-82. The TI-82 is a good general purpose choice, and is easy to use. The TI-82 may lack some special advanced features used in upper-level engineering and science courses.
2. TI-83: This is an advanced general purpose calculator. It combines the ease of use of the TI-82 with some advanced features of the TI-85. It is especially well-suited for applications in advanced finance, actuarial mathematics, and statistics.
3. TI-84: This newest model of the TI-84 Plus Silver Edition calculator is now available. Instructors in the engineering-specific calculus sequence use this calculator. It is especially well suited to help you gain an academic edge from pre-algebra through calculus, as well as biology, chemistry and physics.
4. TI-85: This is an advanced general purpose scientific calculator. Instructors in the engineering-based calculus sequence use this calculator. It is especially well-suited for applications in science and engineering.
5. TI-86: This advanced general purpose scientific calculator extends the TI-85 with additional features and greater ease-of-use. Instructors in the engineering-based honors calculus sequence use this calculator. It is especially well-suited for application in science and engineering.
6. TI-89 & TI-92: These are very advanced scientific calculator/computer. They are suitable for advanced applications in mathematics, science, and engineering. Many Professors do not allow these to be used on exams.