© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Major

Chapter 9

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Your Major – Prepare • Get to know your college catalog

– A legal document that offers you a contract

– Provide information on• Academic regulations

• Academic programs

• Course listings

• 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

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Your Major – Organize

• Examine what you have done and what you need to do– What courses do you need to

complete your degree?– Understand the requirements of

your major and requirements for graduation

– Use your transcript to determine what you have completed and what still needs to be done

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Your Major – Work

• 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

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Your Major – Evaluate

• 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?

• Correct any problems immediately• If you need to drop a course, do it

officially and in time!– Determine what is the last day you can

attend and still get a “W” (withdrawn) from the class instead of an F.

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Your Major – Evaluate• If you can’t get in the courses you

need to graduate:– Act right away. 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)

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Courses and Your Major – Rethink

• 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

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Service Learning

• 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

• Make the most of your experience– Ask questions– Maintain a positive outlook– Go with the flow– Keep your commitments– Keep a journal

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Choosing Your Major

• 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• A double major or creating your own

major may be an option• Remember that learning is life-long –

choosing a major does not shut out other options down the road

© 2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill

Accepting Responsibility for your Academic Performance

• 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