Nearly 4,000 new graduate students will join 4,300 returning graduate students at UCF next week as fall classes begin Monday, Aug. 22.

For some, it will be a new experience, and for many of UCF’s returning students, they may find some changes that were implemented pre- and post-COVID. The College of Graduate Studies and other groups on campus are hosting various opportunities to help welcome our students.

“I encourage students to get involved,” says Christopher Crowder, a College of Graduate Studies Student Advisory Council member. Crowder is pursuing a Ph.D. in integrative and conservation biology. “Meet professors and students, and even visit some graduate students or academic offices on campus. They might be able to provide you with some free resources or even collaborate on a project in the future.”

To help students get started, here is a roundup of more than 40 Pegasus Palooza welcome week activities at UCF. And don’t forget to visit the College of Graduate Studies website for more information.