May 2003

Briefly speaking: Get some major advice

By now, a task that may have intimidated your student last summer is totally familiar: he or she knows how to sign up for classes. That doesn't mean, however, that everything will go just right when registration for fall classes begins May 19. While the mechanics are easier, the selection of classes may become more complicated, especially for students who are not quite ready to choose a major.

This is a good time for students to turn to deans' offices, individual departments, and Advising Services, where many faculty, staff and peer advisers guide rising sophomores.

Their first advice is to get advice.

"The dean's office is not the principal's office," says Assistant Dean Ellen Tani of the Division of Biological Sciences. "Come for 15 minutes for a checkup. Don't just take classes your friends have taken." An adviser will make sure students have the right combination of courses so that they will be able to complete their major, even if they don't choose it until the end of sophomore year.

The College of Engineering feels so strongly about advising that they mandate a yearly meeting and recommend more frequent ones.

	Fred Wood, associate dean

Associate Dean Fred Wood of the College of Letters and Science makes several additional suggestions.

• Finish lower division requirements during the second year. This refers to courses numbered 1-99.
  
• Keep track of college and university requirements in order to create a blended schedule of courses that satisfy the major and other requirements, such as general education.
  
• Students considering a double major or a minor should begin to take courses in their sophomore year. Some students mistakenly believe that they should finish one major before starting other programs.
  
• If students don't know their major yet, an adviser can suggest courses that will help them decide.
  
• Do not focus exclusively on meeting requirements. Advisers find that students perform better overall if they allow themselves to explore new areas and take some classes just for fun.

From the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences comes a final piece of advice: Don't feel locked into a major you may have selected in high school. Advisers will be ready and willing to help students with change.

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