ENROLLMENT 101/301 Preparing to Enroll: Tips for New Students The Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising Summer 2015

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 2

Topics Academic Advising at UMBC Components of Your Degree Schedule Building Academic Resources Look for OPA tips with this life preserver symbol ! 3

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. 4

Student Role To get the most from advising: Make and keep appointments Come to advising sessions prepared Accept responsibility for decisions and follow through on actions 5

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

Major Your chosen field Depth in one area Requires from credits 7 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! LIST: NFY p. 24!

General Education Core of a liberal arts education Breadth across fields Many perspectives, potential careers 8 College-level skills in writing and mathematics Well-educated citizens with exposure to other cultures Use general ed classes to explore majors!

New Student Courses First Year Seminars Small class, interactive, “special topics,” interdisciplinary focus 3 credits, meets a general education requirement 9 Intro to an Honors University Once a week seminar, 1 credit Linked to an academic course

General Education Program 3 Arts & Humanities (AH) courses 3 Social Sciences (SS) courses 1 Mathematics (M) course 10 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 English Composition (ENGL 100) or equivalent NFY pp. 11

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) 11

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 12

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

Extra Coursework Electives--exploring interests Optional 2nd major Pre-professional courses Minor = scaled down major Certificate = courses in a skill area 14 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 15 Placement test results for Math, English Transfer credit report Degree audit Unofficial transcript Your class schedule

Degree Planning Tools 16 “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:

Placement 17 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 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

Workload Plan on studying 2-3 hours (or more) for each hour in class Full-time is 12 or more credits credits often wise for new freshmen 15 credits per semester (on avg.) results in graduation in 4 years (8 semesters x 15 credits = 120 credits) 19

Academic Resources Learning Resources Center (tutoring) Retriever Learning Center in the library: 24/7 study space, plus Writing Center & Math lab Professor office hours Study groups Student Support Services All resources available without fees 20

Make the Most of Orientation Advising Bring ideas! Be flexible! Ask questions! 21 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… 22

Welcome Transfer Students! 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 23

Topics Academic Advising at UMBC Components of Your Degree Schedule Building Academic Resources Look for OPA tips with this life preserver symbol ! 24

Academic Advising is… A partnership between student and advisor to discuss: Major and career choices Adjustment to UMBC Course selection/path to degree Academic “extras” such as research, study abroad, and internships Students meet with an advisor at least once each semester. 25

Student Role To get the most from advising: Make and keep appointments Come to advising sessions prepared Accept responsibility for decisions and follow through on actions 26

Components of UMBC Degree 27 See NFY page 5-6!

Major Your chosen field Depth in one area Requires from credits 28 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! LIST: NFY page 24!

General Education Core of a liberal arts education Breadth across fields Many perspectives, potential careers 29 College-level skills in writing and mathematics Well-educated citizens with exposure to other cultures Use general ed classes to explore majors!

General Education Program 3 Arts & Humanities (AH) courses 3 Social Sciences (SS) courses 1 Mathematics (M) course 30 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 English Composition (ENGL 100) or equivalent NFY p. 11

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) 31

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 32

University Requirements Physical Education-2 courses At least 120 academic credits At least 30 credits taken at UMBC, at least 15 of those in upper level 300/400 courses At least 45 upper level (300/400) credits Cumulative GPA of at least

Extra Coursework Electives--exploring interests Optional 2nd major Pre-professional courses Minor = scaled down major Certificate = courses in a skill area 34 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 35 Transfer credit report Degree audit Unofficial transcript Your class schedule Placement test results for Math, English if needed

Degree Planning Tools 36 “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:

Placement 37 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 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

Schedule Building Tips Avoid registering for a course already completed elsewhere 39 Recognize that final transfer evaluation may take additional time and info from you Do not panic if a course appears full

Workload Plan on studying 2-3 hours for each hour in class (or more!) Full-time is 12 or more credits credits max wise for new transfer students Adjust credits down if working more than 10 hrs/week! Most common transfer student error: underestimating the demands of UMBC courses 40

Academic Resources Retriever Learning Center in the library: 24/7 study space, plus Writing Center & Math lab Learning Resources Center (tutoring) Professor office hours Study groups Student Support Services All resources available without fees 41

New Student Courses Transfer students welcome!!!! Intro to an Honors University (IHU) 1 credit class to assist new UMBC students Look for a “Y” in the course number (e.g., ENGL 100Y) First Year Seminars (FYS) 3 credits, small class, interactive, meets a general education requirement, unusual topics Transfer Student Seminars (TRS) 1-2 credit class to ease transfer transition Fall 2015 TRS offered in Information Systems, Chemical Engineering, History, American Studies, Biology 42

“Reverse Awarding” of A.A. Degree If you are a transfer student from a Maryland Community College who did not complete an A.A. degree, we can help you transfer UMBC courses back to your former school to qualify for the A.A. degree. If you are interested, complete the interest card when you meet with your advisor today. Website: REVERSEAWARD.UMBC.EDU 43

Make the Most of Orientation Advising Bring ideas! Be flexible! Ask questions! 44 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… 45