Expect initially to be presented with a barrage of information, most likely from your school’s human resources division, along with at least eight different orientation sessions focusing on everything from automatic salary deposit and portable benefits retirement packages to employee wellness programs to prevent psychological burnout. Pay attention as best you can, and read through all the paperwork in small increments. Ask a lot of questions and take good notes. Pay attention to what you are signing, and ask don’t be afraid to ask your chair or close colleagues in your department what choices they made on all the forms, and why.

Expect to be overwhelmed by the complexities of the merit evaluation and tenure/promotion system, and try to have your questions answered early on in the year. Your chair should meet with you to discuss the requirements; if you have not been invited to such a meeting after a month or two, request one.

Often one of the biggest shocks is the workload in the first year. You’ll be thinking “Now I have made it! Time management should be a piece of cake from here on in.” Think again. Unless you are one of the select few, teaching a 2/2 load at a research university, you will be teaching 3 or 4 classes with at least two preps, and you will be rushing quite a bit. Pace yourself, and ask your colleagues how they manage their time.

Rule number one: request a mentor, even if your department does not have a formal mentoring system. If you are not satisfied with the amount of time or the quality of the advice, politely request a different mentor from your chair.