The Hitchhiker's Guide to TAMS

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TAMS is a guide maintained by Ambassadors and was created by two former Ambassadors execs, Megan Hoenig and Sydney Jones. The guide contains information on most things a new student should know transitioning to TAMS though readers should note that the guide may be, and has frequently been, out-of-date. Originally, this guide was distributed via Facebook as a PDF but has been adapted for the TAMS Wiki.

Introduction

Dear incoming Juniors,

Congratulations once again on your acceptance into this wonderful establishment. The 2019-2020 Ambassador Execs and other seniors have put together a “little” guide to help you transition into the unique environment that is TAMS. Some parts of this guide are completely our own, but a lot of it was written by previous Ambassadors Execs and your grand, grand, grand, grand... seniors, Megan Hoenig & Sydney Jones. This really is the best guide to succeeding at TAMS. It is a collection of years of wisdom and advice from past TAMS students in addition to us, your seniors who were in your shoes a year ago.

We understand that the guide is just a ​tad​ bit long, so the the ​table of contents has the section titles linked to the sections that you are interested in​. This way you don’t have to scroll through all 33 pages of this guide! Also, the ​page numbers at the bottom of each page are linked to the Table of Contents at the very beginning of this guide​.

Happy reading & Good luck in the coming year!

Summer

Summer Orientation

Summer O is a weekend of fun, making friends, and learning more about life at TAMS. This is also when you will be taking the math and chemistry placement tests. Wondering what to bring? Just what you would bring to a sleepover (pillow, sleeping bag/comforter/sheets) plus toiletries and maybe a few notes for the tests (THAT DOES NOT MEAN BRING A CALCULUS CRAM TEXTBOOK). You’ll receive an itinerary of everything you’ll be doing at Summer O, but just as an overview:

Friday - You’ll arrive Friday around noon and check in with the orientation leaders (OLs) to get your room key and information. There will also be picture taking. Roommates for Summer O are paired by last name. You’ll only be together for 1 night, so it’s not so bad. After you get situated, they’ll tell you guys what you’re going to do for the rest of the weekend and split you guys up into small groups with a couple OLs/Ambassabuddies each. In the small groups, you’ll get to know each other through some ice breakers and then head to Roommate Rumble. These small groups are a great way to make friends before school starts especially since they will be the same groups for Fall O. At Roommate Rumble guys and girls will be split up; you’ll have some time to talk to a few people and try to find a roommate for the upcoming year. Also try to talk to as many people as you can! Don’t worry if you don’t hit it off with anyone right away. Some people found their roommate after Summer O, and ended up the best of roommates. When you do find your roommate (either at Roommate Rumble or outside of TAMS), you’ll both submit a roommate request form online. At night, you’ll experience a wing meeting (we have these every Wednesday at TAMS), and this meeting lasted from 11:00 to 11:45 pm which is pretty typical of a normal wing meeting. Try to get a good night's sleep too because your Saturday will be quite busy.

Also, there will be placement tests Friday evening​. The chemistry and pre-cal tests are mandatory, but if you want to test into a higher math class you’ll have to test for those later in the day. ​However, this year there will not be a CS placement test.​ Don’t stress out too much about these tests. These tests are designed to place you in a class that will allow you to be the most successful. (If you get placed in Honors Chem, you can always choose to switch to Gen Chem).

On Saturday, you guys will do some activities to show you what life at TAMS is like as well as get your textbooks and summer assignments.

The summer orientation schedules vary from year to year and keep in mind that there will be plenty of time in between to socialize and chill. Be sure to get contact information with people that you meet (Facebooks, numbers, Instagrams, Snapchats, etc.) and talk to your seniors!

One of your super grand seniors, Amit Banerjee wrote a blogpost recounting his experiences as an OL, so if you’re interested, go check out his blog post! (https://brandedbyamit.blogspot.com/2015/06/tams-summer-o_16.html).

During the Summer

Some of you might have applied for summer research, but most of you will hopefully be enjoying your last summer before TAMS. In a few months, you won’t be living with your family anymore, so spend time with them while you can! If you haven’t already, join the 2022 TAMS Facebook group and add your future classmates. Summer is a great opportunity to get a head start in getting to know people. Feel free to post and comment on the TAMS Facebook page!

You’ll also have some summer homework to do. It’s not that bad, just a bit of note-taking for Biology and Chem and a light summer reading assignment. It’s not for a grade, just for your own benefit.

We highly recommend having a Facebook account​, so if you don’t​​have one already, summer is a great time to get one and figure it all out. It’s a great way to keep in touch with both your old and new friends. During the school year, Facebook can help you with your classes – letting you know what your homework is and whether or not class is canceled.

Most professors will communicate through Canvas (canvas.unt.edu - bookmark it!), but some will use Blackboard (learn.unt.edu) because UNT is trying to switch over to Canvas from Blackboard. Your username is your EUID that you should get through paper mail. Typically, it is your three initials (2, if you don’t have a middle name) with four numbers (ex abc1234 or ab1234). You will get lots of information (like how to apply for housing) so try your best to keep it all together. Also, you will be receiving an ID number (This should be 8 digits long), different than your EUID which you will basically only use to log into things. Try your best to memorize both your EUID and ID numbers or at least save it somewhere (screenshot and favorite it for easy access) because you will use them frequently. There will be lots of other things that you will have to do over the Internet, so if you can’t quite figure it out, either call the department in charge or ask another student (benefit of Facebook).

Over the summer, about mid-July, you will get your roommate assignment. Contact your roommate and try to get to know them – maybe have lunch together if y’all live close. At the bare minimum, figure out who is going to bring what appliances. Usually one roommate brings the fridge, one brings the microwave depending on who already has what and maybe how far they live from TAMS- people that live farther away will usually have more stuff to bring/take back on move in/move out days, so keep that in mind. Once the rooms and roommates are decided, you will be assigned to two senior mentors that will cover your wing. We’ll talk in detail about this later in dorm life, but they will reach out to you and maybe make a wing Facebook group to bring everybody closer. Finally, the roommate assignment will say your room number and what type of room (community, suite, or private) you will get. You can look up your room and the location on the TAMS website under Student Life and then Dorm Info. You can also look up the staff, get to know them, and learn their names. This is under Student Life then Student Life Staff.

Another important thing online is your schedule, which you can find on my.unt.edu. You log in with the same EUID/password combination from your Canvas account. From there, click on the Student Center/Register button on the left side. Below the big picture of your schedule is a button called “Weekly Schedule.” You can then edit it at the bottom where you can click checkboxes to see your instructor or class title. Be sure to adjust your time frame to see all of your classes, but we’ll explain your schedule later.

The only other pertinent thing over the summer is packing and getting your dorm room ready. I highly recommend buying all the things that you will need over the course of the summer, rather than at the very end. This helps to ensure that you can 1) get better prices, 2) avoid hot sellers from going out of stock, and 3) minimize stress especially if you’re ordering online. Also, bring only the necessities for move-in day; you can bring the rest on a closed weekend. Here is a basic list of what all you need, but what you bring totally depends on the person.

What to Pack

Packing for TAMS

Dorm Room

• Twin XL sheet sets
• Bed Bug protector
• Comforter
• Pillows & Pillowcases
• Extension cord/Surge protector with no/off switch
• Clothing hangers
• Hamper
• Detergent & Dryer sheets
• Fridge & Microwave (split between roommates)
• Water kettle
• Desk lamp
• Bath towels
• Dish soap & Hand soap
• Broom
• Paper towels/Napkins
• Eating utensils (Disposable are great)
• Microwavable Bowls & Plates
• Mugs
• Water bottle
• Air Freshener

Optional:

• Memory foam bed topper (actually a must)
• Backrest pillow
• Rug
• Desk Chair (MC provides one but it's trash)
• Extra seating (beanbag chair/saucer chair)
• Tiny table (for eating with friends)
• Full-length mirror
• Floor lamp
• Rice Cooker
• Organization Boxes
• White board and Expo markers (useful during finals)
• Sleeping mask & earbuds

Clothes & Accessories

• Casual & nice shirts
• Jeans, shorts, leggings
• Formal clothing (girls you will need a lot of dresses for different TAMS events)
• PJs
• Workout clothing
• Close-toed shoes
• Shower shoes
• Hates, belts, sunglasses, jewelry, ect.
• Rain gear

Bathroom Necessities

• Shower caddy (NEED for community and suite rooms)
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash & lotion
• Razor
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Deodorant
• Glass cleaner, contact solution, eye drops
• Medicine: Advil, allergy med, cold/flu
• Band-aids

For suites and privates

• Toilet paper
• Bathroom Mat
• Plunger & toilet bowl brush
• Cleaning supplies (Lysol, bleach, etc.)

Optional

• Makeup
• Fair products
• Hairdryer, curler, straightener
• Skincare products

Electronics

• Laptop/Desktop
• Chargers

Optional:

• Printer
• Ethernet cable (24 hour internet!!)
• Headphones
• Speakers

School Supplies

• Pencils, pens, highlighters
• Erasers & whiteout
• Tape, glue
• Calculator (scientific calculator for Gen Chem)
• Notebook & notebook paper
• 8.5x11 Minilla folders
• Stapler (need!)
• Sticky notes & Index cards
• Backpack (duh)

Misc.

• Food (homemade, instant food, snacks, fruits)
• Bottled water and drinks
• Instant Coffee and creamer and sugar
• Duffle bags (for closed weekends)
• Bike or skateboard (optional)

Life in McConnell Hall

Misc. Dorm Topics

Fun Stuff

The clubs at TAMS are always planning events in addition to the weekly GAs, so there will pretty much always be something going or coming up. A couple of them from what I can remember include MHA Pop that Bot (around September), TMS Aid the Cause (November), Homecoming (usually October), Ambassadors Dr. TAMS (October), HOPE Auction (February), Prom (March or April), Holi (April), Battle of the Halls (April), etc.

Outside Mcconnell, there are always events going on around campus, so check out the signs along the walkways on campus. UNT often has cultural festivals (Korean, Japanese, etc.), movie showings, speakers (last year Donald Trump Jr. and Jane Goodall came), and performances. The rec also has a lot of fun options like rock climbing (usually requires a pass, but occasionally free - like the first week of school). The rec also has daily classes which includes Zumba, pilates, yoga, cycling, kickboxing and many more super fun classes! The first week of every semester is free, but after that you can buy passes for cheap (so worth).

Social Life

Relationship Advice

Relationships are a case by case basis. Don't get hung up if you really crush on someone but they don't like you back. Friendships are more important than relationships, especially when you're in a class of 200 people. Lots of people will get into a relationship here. If you do, great, if you don't, great. You’ll have fun either way. As others said, balance is important, but it’s definitely doable. If you do find your soulmate here at TAMS, and go for a serious relationship, I get that. Also remember that you’re living with the same people you go to school with and people love to talk. If you’re a private person then remember that news does spread like wildfire. However, now it’s such an important time for you that if you’re not committed, a relationship can go awry. Find a balance between school and relationship and talk to your boyfriend/girlfriend if you ever feel like it gets too much. Also, be open and honest with them. Talking creates a lot less drama and a lot of the times it is just really nice to have someone to lean on and count on through all the crazy at TAMS. If you find the right person at TAMS, it’ll be a true blessing :)

School

Schedule/Classes

Math

Pre-Calculus

Calculus I

Calculus II & Above

English

Your English workload will vary heavily depending on which professor you get. 2nd semester you will get to choose your professor. Dr. Schoolfield, Ibarra and Christian are the main professors that teach this course, but you might also get a TA. Their teaching style are very different with different assignments, but essentially you will all read the same books and all of the professors are very intelligent and great. Typically the structure of this class is that you will read a book and do an out of class assignment (including discussion questions). During class you will have discussions about the reading you did. In addition to that, you will also be required to read poems and explicate them. Each professor assigns different writing assignments too. Class participation also varies by professor. Ask the seniors if you want more information.

AP Credit Transfer

For core classes, TAMS will NOT allow you to place out of or skip a class even if you have the corresponding AP credit. For example, if you took AP Biology and got a 5, congratulations, but you will still be required to take Biology if Biology is your selected track. For AP Calculus, your credits DO NOT determine placement in the appropriate math class. Your math placement exams are the SOLE determining factor in placing you in a TAMS math class. This means you could be placed in Pre-calc even though you’ve taken AP Calculus.

Registration

First semester registration will be handled by the amazing administration, so you don’t have to worry about it just yet. However, 2nd semester will be all up to you. Classes fill up quickly, so make sure you work out my.unt.edu before registration day. The VSB (Visual Schedule Builder https://vsb.unt.edu/vsb/​​) is a very helpful tool to use and see what classes work with your schedule. You will have to stick with the same Bio, Chem, and math professors (if you are in Pre Cal or Cal 1), but English and electives are fair game. Look up professors on RateMyProfessor, but don’t be too caught up in which professor you take (you can only really be the judge of how much you like a professor). Ask your seniors for help! We’ve been through this before, so we’ll know what to do.

Studying & Time Management

Yay, you’re in college, but it’s not all a party. You have to learn time management because there is a ton of free time at TAMS with only about 15 hours of class time a week instead of normal high school’s 35. This free time can be used productively or totally wasted, so do be cautious of what you are doing. With this being said, I am not saying to make a minute by minute schedule unless that helps you; so many things here at TAMS are determined by you and your lifestyle or personality.

One thing Dr. Gruver said to us: ​“It’s not really free time, more like unstructured time.”

It is said that for the average college course, for every one hour you are in class, you need three hours of studying. That is on average, so some class might require five hours or some might require little to none (like chemistry lab). Everyone studies differently, so try to find out what works well for you early on. Some people like to start really early, others find that they can cram all of the material in 1 or 2 days (this method is really not recommended). Hopefully you will have an idea of all the necessary things you need to do to succeed in your classes after the second exams, and then you allow for enough time for these to happen.

You’ll find a lot of an over-glamorization of pulling all nighters at TAMS. While they might work for some people, it is not a feat to be proud of. One thing that TAMS does to promote sleep and time management is cutting off the internet at 1 am. This prevents students from staying up all night and people trying to do last minute studying all night. So, if you are studying for a bio test the next day, make sure to do mastering bio first, before the internet cuts off.

Make sure to not skip class. I say this for multiple reasons. Firstly, you don’t get to learn, obviously. Secondly, if you are doing poorly, professors won’t be swayed to help you out as much if you don’t even attend their class. Thirdly, you will need recommendations for colleges, and skipping class, or sleeping/texting, does not look good.

My last thing to say regarding studying is simply be smart. You are one of 200 amazing students who got admitted to TAMS out of hundreds who applied. You do belong here at least intelligently, but don’t waste your opportunity by not trying, because there are a lot of other qualified students who would love to go to TAMS and who would work so incredibly hard, but you got a spot - make the most of it.

Closing

Our final advice to you is that TAMS is what you make of it. You can choose to be a room rat and waste away your time here holed up inside your dorm room, or you can choose to participate in events, go to GAs, talk to people, etc. and make sure your experience at TAMS is the time of your life. Personally, we’ve probably learned more about ourselves and became closer with the people here than we have for the past 17 years of our lives. We hope this guide was of some use to you, and we wish you good luck through the summer and through your junior year. We can’t wait for this upcoming year with all of you!

With Love,

Your 2020-2021 Ambassadors Execs