Chapter 9 Choosing Your Courses and Major Choosing

Chapter 9 Choosing Your Courses and Major

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Prepare 9 -2 • Get to know your college catalog – Catalog is a legal document that offers you a contract – Provides information on • Academic regulations • Academic programs • Course listings Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Prepare 9 -3 • Meet with your college advisor – Set up the meeting early in the term – Take a checklist of questions with you – Remember that ultimately you are responsible for your college career Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Prepare Mc. Graw-Hill 9 -4 © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9 -5 Choosing Your Courses, Major – Organize • Examine what you have done and what you still need to do – What courses do you need to complete your degree? – Understand the requirements of your major and the requirements for graduation – Use your transcript to determine what you have completed and what still needs to be done Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Course, Major - Work 9 -6 • Choosing the next term’s courses – Schedule according to your need for core classes and electives – Decide on the best times for you to take classes – Meet with your advisor and register for your courses – Have alternative classes selected in case your first choices are not available Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9 -7 Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Evaluate 9 -8 • Evaluate your schedule – Are you enrolled in the courses that you think you are? – Are you enrolled in the courses you wanted? – Are the times accurate? Are there conflicts? – Are you registered for the number of credits that you need to maintain your student status for financial aid? Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Evaluate 9 -9 • Correct any problems immediately • If you need to drop a course, do it officially and on time! – Determine what is the last day you can attend and still get a “W” (withdrawn) from the class instead of an F. Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Evaluate 9 -10 • If you can’t get in the courses you need to graduate: – Act right away and look for a creative solution – Find other classes that are still open that meet the same requirement – Speak with your advisor and with the course instructor – Consider taking a required course at another college, perhaps online (make sure it will transfer) Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Courses, Major – Rethink 9 -11 • Learning what you love and loving what you learn – Set aside time each month to determine if you are satisfied with the direction your college career is going in – Don’t accept dissatisfaction Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Service Learning 9 -12 • Engage in community service activities and get college credit – Tutoring elementary students – Volunteer at a halfway house – Volunteer as a “big brother” or “big sister” – Intern in a government office Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Service Learning 9 -13 • Make the most of your experience – Ask questions – Maintain a positive outlook – Go with the flow – Keep your commitments – Keep a journal Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Choosing Your Major 9 -14 • It’s okay not to know right away what you want to major in • Taking a variety of classes may help you decide where your interests are • Focus on your interests • Seek the help of others – your advisor, the career center, or other students • A double major or creating your own major may be an option • Remember that learning is life-long – choosing a major does not shut other options down the road Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Accepting Responsibility 9 -15 • Celebrate successes and accept responsibility for failures • Learn from your mistakes • Reflect on what went wrong, don’t spend time and energy blaming yourself or others • Seek ways to prevent a negative outcome in the future Mc. Graw-Hill © 2011 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.