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Unofficial campus guide · 2026-27

The West Virginia freshman guide

The unofficial first-year playbook for life in Morgantown.

  • 27 chapters
  • 16 step-by-step plays
  • 44 tools included
  • PDF + online

Fact-checked against official sources, October 3, 2026.

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From the guide

West Virginia, by the numbers

  • 3.0

    What a B- and a B+ are both worth on WVU’s scale. Pluses and minuses don’t move your GPA.

  • 2.85%

    Late fee on a past-due balance no payment plan covers. It’s reassessed every month.

  • $345

    A full-time semester of First Day Complete, which puts course materials on your bill.

  • 12

    Credits where tuition stops. A 15-credit semester costs the same as a 12-credit one.

  • 2.75

    The cumulative GPA PROMISE requires. WVU’s own scholarships use the same number.

  • 24

    Hours to register after the waitlist email. Miss it and the seat goes to the next person.

Every figure has its official source in the guide. Details change, so the guide links to each one.

What's inside

The stuff orientation skips.

  • The holds and charges that block registration
  • Why credits 13, 14, and 15 are free
  • Country Roads, Coal Rush, and the clear bag rule
  • The PRT, free buses, and getting home late
  • Snow, ice, and steep hills, handled

Coming up at West Virginia

The next registration, money, and academic dates.

From the guide's verified calendar. Always confirm on the school's official page.

Contents

  1. 1Start here
  2. 2Your first 48 hours
  3. 3Registration kill switchesFree sample
  4. 4Class rules that bite
  5. 5Registering for spring
  6. 6Money defense
  7. 7Where to study
  8. 8Eat well without going broke
  9. 9Getting around and getting home
  10. 10Game day
  11. 11Traditions and free fun
  12. 12Halloween, holidays, and spring
  13. 13Get outside
  14. 14Social apps and finding your people
  15. 15Roommates
  16. 16Your support team
  17. 17Stay healthy
  18. 18Winter: snow, ice, and steep hills
  19. 19Career and working through college
  20. 20Health careers: nursing, pre-med, PA, and NP
  21. 21Military and college
  22. 22Beyond your first year
  23. 23Key dates 2026-27
  24. 24For parents and families
  25. 25The rules that matter most
  26. 26Quick reference
  27. 27Sources and how this was checked

Free sample chapter

Look inside.

One whole chapter from the West Virginia guide, word for word. The interactive tools in it come with the guide.

That's 1 of 27 chapters.

The rest covers class rules, spring registration, money, food, getting around, game day, health, weather, and every key date for the year.

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Free vs. the West Virginia guide

The free guides and tools work for any college. The West Virginia guide adds everything specific to West Virginia University.

Freshman101 is independent. This guide is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by West Virginia University. The school's name is used only to say which campus it covers.

What's free and what a campus guide adds
What you getFreeWest Virginia guide, $24.99
Free Student Guide (PDF, any college)Included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Free Parent Guide (PDF)Included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Planning tools16 free toolsAll 44 tools
Your school's deadlines, with a countdown and calendar exportNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Holds and hidden charges at your school, and how to clear themNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Your school's class rules: drops, withdrawals, repeatsNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Game day planner with the home schedule and stadium rulesNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Where to Eat near campus, plus student deals and freebiesNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
A first 48 hours checklist built for your campusNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Advising prep, study planners, and the résumé and letter studioNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide
Online pages for your phone, plus the magazine-style PDFNot included in the free versionIncluded in the campus guide