Welcome to the Soil Science Graduate Program!

There are a number of actions you need to take during the transition from a potential applicant to a fully admitted soil science graduate student. You should check the following resources for more information.

The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences is housed in Williams Hall on North Campus, on the Brickyard.  When you arrive on campus, please stop by room 2321 Williams Hall. Angie Barefoot, our Graduate Services Coordinator, will record your arrival and answer any questions you may have about the Graduate Programs in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.  If you have been awarded a research or teaching assistantship, Angie will assist you in processing the necessary forms.

Unity ID and Email

You received your student ID and your Unity ID from the Graduate School during the admission process. Your unity ID is also your email address, as in unityID@ncsu.edu. NC State uses Google Workspace for email and calendars, and it also provides Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, Groups, and other productivity tools. All communications from the department or university will always be sent to your ncsu.edu email account and you should always use your ncsu email account for all university communications.

More about your Unity Credentials and your first password or changing passwords is found at the MyIT website.

Student ID Cards

Students are required to have a Wolfpack One Card. The One Card is your on-campus identification card and can also be used for a variety of on-campus purchases if you set it up for All Campus accounting. New graduate students should go to the Talley Student Union after their Orientation session to obtain an ID card.

Office Space and Keys

All PhD and MS students are assigned office space. These offices are shared spaces with desks for four to six students. In some cases you will be in a smaller space within your Advisor’s laboratory. Students whose primary location is at the Plant Science Building will not be assigned an office and will be asked to use graduate student “hoteling” spaces when in Williams Hall.

Office Assignments

The Director of Soil Science Graduate Programs will assign a desk in an office space to you before you arrive. You will likely be in a space with others working with the same Advisor, but not always. Look for an email a few weeks prior to your arrival for your office assignment.

Keys

When you receive the email about your office space, you will also receive instructions on picking up keys to your office and lab spaces. The departmental Executive Assistant, Ms. Kathy Kelly, will notify you when you can pick up the keys. When you finish your degree, you must return those keys directly to her office.

Housing at NC State

Moving to the Raleigh area to attend NC State can present challenges with finding a place to live. The department cannot locate an apartment or room for you, but the resources below may be of assistance in your search for a place to stay.

In addition to the following options, you can also connect with graduate students in the department by sending a message to the Grad Student Group (you can only do this after you have your NCSU email active and you must send from that account). Occasionally, existing students are looking for new roommates.

University Housing

The University has a variety of housing options. While most of these are for undergraduate students, there are options for graduate students as well. Options include:

E.S. King Village

Wolf Ridge

Western Manor Apartments

For more information, explore the University Housing website.

NC State Off-Campus Housing Website

This resource can assist you in finding off-campus housing near NC State. Visit the NC State Off-Campus Housing Site for more information.

Off-Campus Housing Tips

Study the Housing Off-campus Information site to gain valuable information about what you should be thinking about as you look for housing.

Other Off-Campus Resources

You may find these commercial, non-NCSU sites of interest in your search for a place to live:

Apartment Guide

Apartment List

Banking

Upon arrival in NC you should open a checking account at a local bank or credit union. This is important for two reasons:

• A local bank account is part of your actions towards gaining NC Residency (if you are an out-of-state US student).
• Your paycheck will be automatically direct-deposited into that account each month.

There are several banks and credit unions near campus. Two convenient ones are listed here (this is not an endorsement).

PNC Bank – They have a convenient location in the Talley Student Center

State Employees Credit Union – a branch is across from campus on Hillsborough St

There are also a number of other banks near campus to include Bank of America, Chase, First Citizens, Horizon, and Truist.

Transportation and Parking Information

NC State Transportation provides complete information on parking and transportation for students.

If you are hired on a research or teaching assistanship you can purchase an employee parking permit and have it deducted from your paycheck monthly.

If you do not drive or prefer to use public transportation then the Wolfline can move you around the campus area for free. You should download the TransLoc app that will give you real-time bus information for all routes currently serving NC State and surroundings. It is available in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

As of this writing, it is free to ride on the GoRaleigh bus line and on the GoTriangle regional bus line.

Deadlines and Actions

Here is a summary of key actions to take before arrival and as soon as you arrive on campus.

For more information contact Angie Barefoot, Graduate Services Coordinator.