Enrollment 101 Preparing to Enroll: Tips for New Students Presented by The Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising

YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN ABOUT… Academic Advising at UMBC Components of a UMBC Degree Math, English & Foreign Language Placement Schedule Building Tips Academic Resources Next Steps Look for OPA Tips with this paw symbol!

Academic Advising at Umbc

Academic advising is a partnership between student and advisor Adjustment to college Major and career choices Course selection and long- term planning Academic difficulty Academic “extras” Research Study Abroad Internships

Types of advisors Orientation Office for Academic & Pre- Professional Advising – Undecided Major/Department Pre-Professional

Advising expectations Schedule regular advising appointments Come prepared and ask questions Take notes Follow through Students must meet with their Academic Advisor EVERY semester before they register!

Components of a umbc degree

How certain are you of your major here at UMBC? Absolutely certain, 100% sure Pretty certain, 85% sure Fairly certain, 70% sure D. Uncertain, 50% sure E. Completely uncertain, <50% sure

major Total major credits varies (30- 80+ credits) Double majoring is possible depending on graduation timeline Pre-Professional pathways are not majors Declare your major by 45 earned credits

General education College-level writing and math skills Exposure to a variety of academic subjects Helpful for major exploration

General education categories English Composition Arts & Humanities (3) Social Sciences (3) Mathematics Science (2, one lab course required) Culture (1-2, depending on major) Foreign Language at the 201-level

First year courses First Year Seminars (FYS) FYS 101: It Came from the 80’s: Politics and Popular Culture Introduction to an Honors University (IHU) SCI 100Y: Science, An Interdisciplinary Study

University requirements 120 total credits 45 upper-level credits (300 or 400-numbered courses) 30 credits at UMBC Writing Intensive Course Physical Education (2) Overall GPA is 2.0+

Extra coursework Electives = your choice! Minors (approx. 18 credits) Certificates (courses in a skill area) Pre-Professional courses, if applicable

Math, English & foreign language placement

Have you completed your Placement Tests? Yes, I can't wait to find out my scores today No, I need to take them right away I only took Math because I already have credit for English Composition I only took English because I already have credit for Math I already have credit for both English Composition and Math so I did not need to take either test

Placement tests Check your academic skill level so that you are placed in the best fit class Math English Reading Required for class registration placement@umbc.edu

Alternatives to placement testing Previous college coursework Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or CLEP Exam Scores High School course completion (Foreign Language only)

Foreign language placement No placement test Determined by high school or previous college course completion Language course numbering: 101 – Elementary I 102 – Elementary II 103 – Review of 101 & 102 (French and Spanish only) 201 – Intermediate I UMBC Offers: Arabic* Japanese* Chinese* Korean* French Latin* German Russian Greek* Spanish Hebrew* Wolof* Hindi* *I01 only offered in fall

What are your plans for completing the Foreign Language requirement? I have taken 4 years of a language and don't plan to take any additional language courses I plan to continue with the foreign language that I started in high school I plan to start a new foreign language I am not sure how I plan to complete the foreign language requirement

Schedule building tips

How many hours a week did you study in high school, on average? I never studied in high school <1 hour per week 1-5 hours per week 6-10 hours per week 10+ hours per week

Keep in mind: 12 credits is full time Goal is 15 credits/semester or 30 credits/year 1 hour in class = 2-3 study hours Pending transfer credits or AP/IB/CLEP scores 10 hours/week of other commitments = workload of 3- credit class

Academic resources

Placement Test Results Degree Audit Unofficial Transcript Fall Class Schedule Transfer Credit Report AP IB CLEP College Coursework Electronic Resource

All campus resources are free! Retriever Learning Center Math Lab Writing Center Tutoring in individual course subjects Supplemental Instruction (SI) – peer led review sessions Study Groups Professor Office Hours Student Disabilities Services

Next steps

Making the most of orientation advising Bring Ideas! Be Flexible! Ask Questions! Volunteer Information! AP Test Scores College Coursework Constraints to Your Schedule It’s YOUR schedule, own it!

For help after orientation Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising Sherman Hall, B Wing, Room 224 410-455-2729 arc@umbc.edu www.advising.umbc.edu Follow us on Instagram! @umbc_advising