When transitioning to college, especially at a campus as large as UK, it’s easy for the process to be overwhelming. This list addresses some of the most common logistical concerns incoming students have, as well as more personal advice from the Office of Student Success. Hopefully, it will make your transition easier and better allow you to take advantage of everything UK has to offer.

“UK is resource-rich and has a ton of resources, services and people who are here to help you with any need,” said Trisha Clement-Montgomery, Dean of Students in the Office for Student Success. “We are excited about your arrival and your journey — never hesitate to use the resources designed just for you.”

How do I make an advising appointment?

Advising appointments can be made through myUK. After logging in to your account, click “Degree Planning and Registration” under the Student Services tab. Advisors assigned to you should be listed on the right side of the page. Click the blue “Make Appointment” button under their name, and you should be taken to a page where you can select a date, time and modality for your appointment. A 24-hour notice is required to schedule Zoom appointments.

“The beautiful thing about UK is you never have to navigate this journey by yourself,” Clement-Montgomery said. “It is perfectly normal to change your mind, your friends or your major. But again, the beautiful thing about this community is that there is a space and support system for you in every phase of your evolution.”

How do I get sports tickets?

UK students can get free general admission to baseball, cross country, track & field, golf, gymnastics, rifle, softball, soccer, STUNT, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball and womens basketball games by presenting their student ID at the gate. Football and mens basketball tickets can be purchased with a myUK Athletics Student Account, which is automatically created upon registering for classes. Purchasing information is available at the UK Athletics website.

UK sporting events are also useful places to meet new people and make friends from a variety of backgrounds, something that Corrine Williams, the acting vice president for student well-being, encourages.

“Trust that things will work out for you if you connect and engage with people,” she said. “We all think our friends have it together, but you never know what someone else is going through. Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. I took a somewhat non-traditional path, but in the end, I’ve ended up exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Where can I park on campus?

On-campus residents can purchase residential (R), periphery (K) and remote (X) permits at the student permit website, allowing them to park at various locations on and off campus. Off-campus students can purchase K, commuter (C) and off-peak (O) permits.

Students with K permits must move their cars by 3:30 p.m. the day before home football games. Because of this, students with K permits can also park in employee intermediate lots after 3:30 p.m. These areas include the University Drive, Cornerstone and Press Avenue parking garages, as well as surface lots around Scott Street, Memorial Coliseum, Sports Center Drive, Columbia Avenue and Kroger Field. For a full list, visit the UK Transportation Services website.

How do the UK buses work?

UK has five free-to-ride bus routes. The main routes that travel throughout campus are the Blue Route and the White Route, which operate Monday–Friday, and the Yellow Route, which operates on weekends. All buses can be tracked through the TransLoc app. UK students can also ride all LexTran buses free with a valid student ID. For more information on campus buses, visit the UK Transportation Services website.

What are Flex dollars?

Flex dollars are funds that can be added to student meal plans and spent at both campus dining halls and on-campus restaurants and markets, such as Subway and Panda Express in the Gatton Student Center and the Wildcat Pantry on central and north campuses. Flex Dollar funds roll over from semester to semester, but not year to year. To view your Flex balance or add funds, visit the UK Dining website.

Students can also add funds to their Plus Account, which can be used to purchase food, books and printing services on and off campus. To add funds to Plus Accounts, visit the Plus Account website.

Overall, Williams encourages students to not be afraid to ask for help. Most of the provided websites have contact links where students can reach out to campus officials if they are struggling with a particular situation.

“There are a lot of people on this campus who are here to support you. But if you don’t reach out, we may not know,” Williams said. “I don’t want a single student on this campus to struggle with something that could have been easily fixed.”