It’s the beginning of a new year and a new semester. If those final grades posted on December 18^th sent you into a slump, my advice to you for next semester let’s get started on the right track this time! Even if your grades were just where you’d expected, pre-planning your semester in the first few weeks can give you a broad outlook on what to expect in the next four months.

First, let’s take a look at important dates on the Academic Calendar.

Monday, January 12	Classes Begin
Monday, January 12 through Friday, January 16th	Late Registration ($20.00 Fee) & Drop/Add Continues
Friday, January 16	Last Day to be Admitted & Registered Last Day to Add (LORA will remain open until Midnight) Last Day to Change to Full-Time Status or to Audit
Monday, January 19	Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday Holiday
Friday, January 23	Last Day to Drop (LORA will remain open until Midnight) Last Day for 100% Refund President's Convocation for Faculty and Staff (3:00pm)
Friday, February 13	Last Day for 50% Refund
Friday, February 20	Fall 2008 Incomplete Grades (I) Changed to F
Monday, February 23 and Tuesday, February 24	Mardi Gras Holidays
Wednesday, February 25	Classes Resume
Friday, March 6	Mid-Term Deadline for posting Grades Midnight
Friday, March 13	Last Day for 25% Refund, Last Day to Withdraw
Monday, March 23	Early Registration Advising Begins
Monday, March 30	Summer/Fall 2009 Early Registration Begins
Monday, April 6 through Monday, April 13	Easter Holidays for Undergraduate Courses
Tuesday, April 14	Classes Resume for Undergraduate Courses
Wednesday, May 29	Last Day of Classes for Undergraduate Courses
Thursday, May 30	Study Day/ Day Division: No Examinations May Be Given Except as per Final Exam Schedule
Friday, May 1 through Thursday, May 7	Final Examinations
Friday, May 8	University Baccalaureate Mass - 4:00 p.m. (Holy Name of Jesus Church)
Saturday, May 9	Commencement - Undergraduate and Graduate Students - 10:00 a.m. (Louisiana Superdome)
Wednesday, May 13	Deadline for posting Undergraduate and Graduate Students Grades Midnight

Now, sit down and plan your semester. Use the Semester Calendar with your Course Syllabi (which you can download from LORA by looking up your courses) to write in each assignment, paper, or test you will have this semester. Then, look at your weekly schedule and plan your week. Consider all obligations, classes, work schedule, study time, weekly appointments or club meetings. This will give you an idea of what free time you have and how you can best use it! Post your Semester Calendar and Weekly Schedule in a visible place in your dorm room.

Keep in mind, last semester the university extended the ADD/DROP dates due to the Gustav evacuation. This semester, you will only have one week (until Friday, January 16) to add courses to your schedule. After that, you’ll only be allowed to drop courses without a “W” until Friday, January 23.

Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday falls on Monday, January 18^th. Just as Spring semester begins, you luck up and get a holiday! Check out the events around town. Holy Name of Jesus holds an Interfaith service at 10:00AM. There is a march Uptown from Washington and Annunciation to Sixth Baptist Church at Felicity and Chippewa lead by Pastor Torin Sanders and a closing ceremony with refreshments are served at the church.

The N.O. African-American Museum of Art, Culture and History, 1418 Governor Nicholls holds a free reception honoring the N.O. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Art Exhibit from 2:00PM to 6PM. A visit to the Audubon Zoo or Aquarium from 10:00AM to 4:00PM would be fun if you’ve not yet checked out these great New Orleans attractions. Or, you might choose to see the New Orleans Hornets versus the Indiana Pacers at 2:30PM in the New Orleans Arena. However you choose to spend your day, make it count!

In New Orleans, we all look forward to Mardi Gras season. There’s so much to do, and you’re so close to the action! This should go without saying, but school work comes first so make sure you’ve done your studying and you’ve gone to class before you head out to enjoy the parades. Don’t get caught up in the season and forget why you’re here – to get an education. That means class and study come first. Right!

Here’s a rundown of the parade schedule for the season:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009 • Brid - Lakeview, 6:00 p.m. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2009 • Krewe du Vieux - French Quarter, 6 30 p.m. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Little Rascals - Metairie, noon FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Krewe of Cork - French Quarter, 3 p.m. • Oshun - Uptown, 6 p.m. • Cleopatra - West Bank, 6:30 p.m. • Pygmalion - Uptown, 6:45 p.m. • Excalibur - Metairie, 7 p.m. • Atlas - Metairie, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Choctaw - West Bank, 11:30 a.m. • Adonis - West Bank, noon • Pontchartrain - Uptown, 1 p.m. • Shangri-La - Uptown, 2 p.m. • Caesar - Metairie, 6 p.m. • Sparta - Uptown, 6 p.m. • Pegasus - Uptown, 6:45 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Alla - Gretna, 11 30 a.m. • Carrollton - Uptown, Noon • King Arthur - Uptown, 1:15 p.m. • Barkus - French Quarter, 2 p.m. • Rhea - Metairie, 1:00 p.m. • Bards of Bohemia - Uptown, 2:30 p.m. • Centurions - Metairie, 5:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009 • Druids - Uptown, 6 p.m. • Thor - Metairie, 7:00 p.m THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009 • Babylon - Uptown, 5:45 p.m. • Muses - Uptown, 6:30 p.m. • Chaos - Uptown, 7:00 p.m. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Hermes - Uptown, 6 p.m. • d'Etat - Uptown, 6:30 p.m. • Morpheus - Uptown, 7:45 p.m. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • NOMTOC - West Bank, 10:45 a.m. • Iris - Uptown, 11 a.m. • Tucks - Uptown, Noon • Endymion - Mid-City, 4:15 p.m. • Isis - Metairie, 6:30 p.m. • Knights of Jason (with Napoleon) - Met., 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Okeanos - Uptown, 11 a.m. • Thoth - Uptown, 11:30 a.m. • Mid-City - Uptown, 12:15 p.m. • Bacchus - Uptown, 5:15 p.m. • Napoleon - Metairie, 5:30 p.m. LUNDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 23, 2009 • Proteus - Uptown, 5:15 p.m. • Orpheus - Uptown, 6 p.m. • Zeus - Metairie, 6:30 p.m. MARDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 Orleans / Jefferson • Zulu - Uptown, 8 a.m. • Rex - Uptown, 10 a.m. • Elks Orleans - after Rex • Crescent City - after Elks • Argus - Metairie, 10 a.m. • Jefferson Trucks - after Argus • Elks Jefferson - after Jefferson • Grela - West Bank, 11 a.m. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009 ASH WEDNESDAY LENTEN SEASON BEGINS MASS HELD IN IGNATIUS CHAPEL 12:00 NOON

Back to the books after Mardi Gras, traditionally the universities would begin classes on Ash Wednesday at noon, HOWEVER this is NOT THE CASE this year.

Have a safe, happy and productive semester. Best of luck to all of you!