12 Weeks To Go:  What are your classes good for?  June 9, 2008 

A few ways to think about your fall 2008 classes…

Congratulations on registering for your first semester at the University of Minnesota! Remember that the staff in the CLA Society and Culture Student Community (SocCult) is here to help you find answers to your questions and reach your goals!

Now that you’ve registered for fall 2008 courses, it’s a good time to think about what your courses are good for.  Your courses do more for you than merely satisfy degree requirements. They may help you identify a major or a minor you will like, learn about an academic field which you currently know little about, discover the relationship between what may seem like very different fields of study, and most importantly, develop and strength the skills you need to be successful in college as well as after college.

During the summer, go ahead and explore what your courses have to offer.  Check out the Course Guide to read up on what you will learn and how your courses are structured.  You can even email your instructors for the fall and ask pertinent questions about what you can expect from your courses.

When thinking about your courses, consider this…

What ideas and information do you think your courses will cover?  How interesting do you think the courses will be?  Are any of these courses in areas in which you think you could major?

How do you think each course might relate to or teach similar information as other courses you’re taking (for instance, a General Psychology class and a Biology class may actually have a few things in common, things like brain chemistry and anatomy as well as the evolutionary develop of organisms, since these issues concern both academic fields)?  How will these courses be different, both in terms of what ideas and information are covered and in what kind of work you’ll be expected to do?

What skills, especially those that you can apply to other courses, do you think you’ll learn?  What skills do you think you’ll learn that can be useful in your future after college?

How do the courses you’re taking, especially what you’ll learn in them, relate to your goals and plans?

Of course, you can still think about how your courses meet your degree requirements.  During orientation, you were introduced to the Academic Progress Audit System (APAS) report – the on-line resource that shows your degree requirements and the courses you've completed or have in-progress that fulfill them. Now, you can review your APAS online to see which requirements you will be completing! Go to Onestop http://onestop.umn.edu/) and click on the APAS link at the top right of the page. You will use your internet ID and password to access your report.

Transfer credits and any AP or IB credits should show up over the summer. Be sure to check this at least once per semester to monitor your own progress toward your degree – and let us know if you have questions! 

Have a great summer!

Next week, get some tips on housing and living accommodations: House and Home