ENROLLMENT 101 Preparing to Enroll: Tips for New Students The Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising Summer 2017

Welcome Freshmen! Academic advisors will help you meet your goals at UMBC We have provided you with “Navigating the First Year” as a ready reference (NFY) Right now we will help you prepare for advising and registration later today

Topics Academic Advising at UMBC Components of Your Degree Schedule Building Academic Resources Look for OPA tips with this life preserver symbol!

Academic Advising is… A partnership between student and advisor to discuss: Major and career choices Adjustment to college Course selection/path to degree Academic “extras” such as research, study abroad, and internships Students meet with an advisor at least once each semester. Use this section as an opportunity to describe how advising works at UMBC:

Student Role from advising: To get the most Make and keep appointments Come to advising sessions prepared Accept responsibility for decisions and follow through on actions ** Make sure to note that it is the students responsibility to review schedule once placement tests are taken, if applicable, as well as once AP scores come in and to contact their advisor if changes need to be made!

Components of UMBC Degree See NFY pp. 5-6!

Major Your chosen field Depth in one area Requires from 30-80+ credits Pre-professional study (pre-med, pre-law) is NOT an academic major Declare major by 45 credits, sooner if ready Interdisciplinary Studies = design your major UMBC offers 45 majors! Highlight importance of variation in major credits; lower credits may need to think about adding minor, major or certificate LIST: NFY p. 20!

General Education Core of a liberal arts education Breadth across fields Many perspectives, potential careers College-level skills in writing and mathematics Well-educated citizens with exposure to other cultures Use general ed classes to explore majors!

Small class, interactive, “special topics,” interdisciplinary focus New Student Courses First Year Seminars Small class, interactive, “special topics,” interdisciplinary focus 3 credits, meets a general education requirement These courses are designed for students in their first or second semester at UMBC—freshmen or transfer students Intro to an Honors University Once a week seminar, 1 credit Linked to an academic course

General Education Program English Composition (ENGL 100) or equivalent 3 Arts & Humanities (AH) courses 3 Social Sciences (SS) courses 1 Mathematics (M) course 2 Science (S) courses, one with lab Foreign language proficiency (L) at the 201 (intermediate) level 1-2 Global Cultures (C) courses 1 Writing Intensive (WI) course ENGL- will discuss placements later in session…must have placement test score to register Give examples of AH courses and explain that only certain courses are AH- must have designation Give examples of SS courses All students need Math, regardless of major…placement test needed before registering for math and scores will be discussed later Natural Sciences examples are in guide…science major completes this with major requirements Foreign Language- proficiency based on level 4 hs, AP/IB/CLEP scores, college language, international students with documentation NFY  pp. 8-9

Foreign Language in GEP To graduate, all students need “proficiency at the 201 level” in a language other than English. There are FOUR ways to meet this requirement: 1. Completed Level 4 of a language in High School 2. Achieved 4 or 5 score on foreign language AP test 3. Complete 201 level course at UMBC or elsewhere (third semester of study at the college level) 4. Obtain waiver based on other evidence of skill (generally for international students) If you placed into a higher level language, i.e. 201, you may not receive credit for 101, or 102 of that language. If the language is FREN/SPAN, 103 is a refresher course for students not ready to go into 201.

Foreign Language in GEP May continue a language or start a new language UMBC offers Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Russian, Spanish, and Wolof Language course numbering: 101 = Elementary I 102 = Elementary II 201 = Intermediate I Which level course to take depends on how much study in HS, how recently Optional 103 course in French, Span reviews 101,102

University Requirements Physical Education-2 courses At least 120 academic credits At least 30 credits at UMBC At least 45 upper level (300/400) credits Cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 Four ways to be exempt from PHED requirement. (1)Age 30 or over on first day of classes (2)Military Veteran (3)Athlete-semester sport is in season, earn PHED credit (4)Physical limitation, note from physician required. PHED courses are not academic; are Pass/Fail grading; students may take the same PHED twice to meet the requirement.

Extra Coursework Electives--exploring interests Optional 2nd major Pre-professional courses Minor = scaled down major Certificate = courses in a skill area How many extras can fit into your college career depends on your major

Your Academic Info Online Find academic info about you 24/7 through Placement test results for Math, English Transfer credit report Degree audit Unofficial transcript Your class schedule

Degree Planning Tools “What if” Degree Audit Applies your completed and planned courses to a new major or minor Helps you decide on a major or a change to your major/minor Academic “Pathways”– Brand new! Available for each UMBC major Illustrates typical courses semester by semester that would allow completion of degree in 4 years Here’s the link: https://apps.my.umbc.edu/pathways/

Placement Placement = what your first course should be at UMBC Placement depends on: College coursework completed elsewhere Advanced Placement, IB, CLEP Scores UMBC Placement test results Take all needed placement tests right away!

Mathematics Placement Most new students place into one of these courses: LRC 099- Introductory Algebra (developmental) MATH 104- Quantitative Literacy MATH 106- Algebra & Elementary Functions* _____________________________________________________________ MATH 100- Intro to Contemporary Math STAT 121- Intro Stat for Social Science MATH 150- Precalculus (Caution!) MATH 155 – Applied Calculus ______________________________________________________________ MATH 151- Calculus & Analytic Geometry I *most common Math placement is MATH 106 Math Notes - Again, placement info is listed on profile - All students, regardless of major must complete one gened math course Placements: - LRC 099- developmental course for students who have not math recently or may not have a strong math background- no gened - MATH 106- designed to prepare students for MATH 150- no Gened - MATH 100, 115, 131 or STAT 121- designed for those students who do not need math for their major- yes gened - MATH 150 & 151- designed for those who need math as part of their major- yes gened - MATH 151 is highest placement you will see ** Address importance of taking course you placed into- UMBC math is NOT the same as high school math!

Workload Plan on studying 2-3 hours (or more) for each hour in class Full-time is 12 or more credits 15 credits per semester (on avg.) results in graduation in 4 years (8 semesters x 15 credits = 120 credits) Hours Inside the Classroom vs Outside - Every 1 credit inside the classroom is equal to 3 hours outside (studying, reading assignments, writing papers, doing homework)‏ Ex. 12 Credits= 36 Hours Outside of Class - This doesn’t even count part time jobs, participating in extracurricular activities, sleep! 2. Fulltime Status - 12 credits is fulltime - Students must take average of 15 credits per semester to graduate in four years - Taking into above equation, 12-15 credits for the first semester is good start Choices, Choices, Choices - Many more academic choices than High School - Take advantage of new opportunities (classes in areas you are not familiar with but sound interesting)‏ - Create list of classes you want to take, including: 1. Those in your proposed major 2. Those that complete GFRs 3. Those that just sound interesting Give yourself backups! Mention tutoring services that are already covered by tuition dollars (i.e. Math Lab, Writing Lab, Chem Tutorial, etc.)

Academic Resources Learning Resources Center (tutoring) Retriever Learning Center in the library: 24/7 study space, Writing Center & Math lab Professor office hours Study groups Student Support Services All resources available without fees Hours Inside the Classroom vs Outside - Every 1 credit inside the classroom is equal to 3 hours outside (studying, reading assignments, writing papers, doing homework)‏ Ex. 12 Credits= 36 Hours Outside of Class - This doesn’t even count part time jobs, participating in extracurricular activities, sleep! 2. Fulltime Status - 12 credits is fulltime - Students must take average of 15 credits per semester to graduate in four years - Taking into above equation, 12-15 credits for the first semester is good start Choices, Choices, Choices - Many more academic choices than High School - Take advantage of new opportunities (classes in areas you are not familiar with but sound interesting)‏ - Create list of classes you want to take, including: 1. Those in your proposed major 2. Those that complete GFRs 3. Those that just sound interesting Give yourself backups! Mention tutoring services that are already covered by tuition dollars (i.e. Math Lab, Writing Lab, Chem Tutorial, etc.) NFY: p. 3-4

Make the Most of Orientation Advising Bring ideas! Be flexible! Ask questions! Volunteer information, such as AP tests taken, college courses while in high school, constraints on your schedule Own your schedule! If you do not like the direction your class schedule is taking, speak up!

For Help After Orientation… Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising Sherman Hall, B Wing, Room 224 Walk In Advising: Monday-Friday 10am-2pm Call or Email for Appointments 410-455-2729 arc@umbc.edu advising.umbc.edu Look for e-mails from UMBC Extra Credit to help you stay on course toward graduation and beyond! The advising office is open throughout the summer. Students who are unable to connect with an advisor in their major department should feel free to contact us for assistance.