I Have Some Reservations About that Class...

Over the course of the last couple weeks, the CAS Advisors have been sifting through registration difficulties to help you get the most ideal schedule possible.  However, if you received the "reserve closed" error during registration, there wasn't very much we could do to help you...until today!!

What does it mean if I receive the "reserve closed" message?

Many majors offered at the University of Scranton require specific courses to be taken at specific times during a student's academic career.  Not getting these classes by a certain point could place a student in peril of not graduating on time.  Therefore, to ensure that this does not happen and that all University of Scranton students have a fair opportunity to graduate in four years, departments temporarily reserve seats in required classes for their declared majors and minors.  Students are generally granted one week after Freshmen Registration to claim their reserved seats. 

The Reservations Have Been Removed!

For most classes, reservations are being removed today.  The process officially began at 8:30am but may not be completed until later in the day.  If you think the reservation should have been removed from a class but you are still unable to register for it, you can call our Assistant Dean, Mrs. Butler at 570-941-7562 or email her at gina.butler@scranton.edu to seek additional information.  

Not all reserves get removed.  Some sections have seats reserved for incoming freshman.  Others are reserved for seniors only.  These seats will continue to be reserved. 

I Have a Problem You Didn't Mention!

If you have any other issues, please let us know!  We are aware of certain concerns, such as the fact that organic chemistry is closed, and we are working with department chairs to address them, but you should email me so I am aware of your situation.  If you are holding out for a particular professor or time in any class, grab a seat in a less ideal section and email the advising center to get your name added to the wish list.  We check course enrollments each day and if we see an open seat and you are next on the list, we will add you to the course.  It's a long summer and people change majors, leave the university or realize that they no longer are permitted to continue in certain classes.  Seats may open up!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Dropping a Course

Academic Difficulty

Midterm grades are in and things aren't going so well in that one class.  You got a deficiency report and an email from the Advising Center and you are wondering if you should stick it out or drop the class.  The decision to drop a course at this point in the semester is not to be made lightly.  You've come so far and probably committed a significant quantity of time and tuition dollars to this course.  You might be concerned about your GPA but equally worried about the impact of a "W" on you future goals.  The last day to drop a course is April 11 so you can't put off a decision much longer...what's the right choice?

Know the Facts
Earning an "F" or a "D" can have a serious and detrimental impact on your GPA.  If your overall GPA falls below a 2.0, you will be placed on academic probation and potentially face dismissal.  While you can reverse the impact on your GPA by retaking the course in a future semester (at The University of Scranton only-not at another institution), the first grade will always remain on your academic transcript.  You do not earn credit for any course in which you earn an "F".  

A "W" does not impact GPA.  While it also remains on your academic transcript forever, it will not impact your academic standing and is generally not viewed as negatively as an "F" or a "D".  Taking a "W" might not be the right choice for everyone but it can sometimes be the only way to make the best of a bad situation.

Deciding What to Do
So should you drop or stick it out?  There is no easy answer but there are some steps you can follow to help you arrive at a decision:

• Talk to your professor.  Don't skip this step even if you are worried that he or she is unapproachable or that the meeting will be awkward.  Talking to your professor can help you determine exactly where you stand in the course.  At this meeting you should be trying to figure out the answers to questions like:  what exactly is my grade right now?  What is contributing to my deficiency at this point?  (test or quiz grades? attendance? projects?)  What is the maximum grade I can receive in this course?  Is it realistic to think I can pass?  If I remain in the course, what strategies can I employ to maximize my efforts?

• Talk to an advisor.  We can help you sort out the facts and weigh your options.  There is a lot of information to consider.  For example, for some courses, you only have to pass.  In some, you must earn a "C" or better.  In that case, hanging on for a "D" doesn't make sense.  We can also help you determine what your options are for repeating a course.  If you decide to remain in the class, we can connect you with resources to make your semester more successful.  If you decide to drop, you can start the process in our office.  

• Talk to Financial Aid.  In order to maintain financial aid and scholarships, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of above a 2.0 and must maintain the PACE requirement established for their academic class.  PACE is the total percentage of the courses for which a student is registered after the drop date (March 1, 2013) that he or she completes.  Freshmen and Sophomores must complete 65% of the courses while juniors and seniors must complete 70% of courses.  Contact the Financial Aid for information regarding how your drop might impact your PACE.

 Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Pre Registration Time!

Hey Freshmen, you may have your mind on Spring Break or Final Exams, but it's already time to start planning your Fall schedule!

When will my appointment be?

You have been assigned an appointment based upon your major.  If you have not yet picked up your appointment letter, do so today!

What should I bring?

You should complete the yellow End of Year Review you received with your appointment materials.  You should also complete the Course Registration Form in its entirity.

I don't know what to take!!

For many students, selecting courses for the fall of sophomore year can be more intimidating because, in many cases, sophomores have more freedom in making selections.  Generally speaking, you can follow the four year plan for your major provided in the online catalog.  Here, you can look at major and cognate requirements and get some ideas about general education requirements.  You should also look at your CAPP to determine what progress you have made toward fulfilling graduation requirements.

I want to change my major!!!  

If you would like to change your major,  you should refer to the catalog page for the new major to prepare for your appointment.  You can begin the process of changing your major when you meet with your advisor.  For some majors, your advisor may be able to process the change for you.  However, in many cases, you will need to meet with the chair of your desired major to make the change.  Either way, we can help you figure it out and determine if you are on track in your new major or what you need to do to get on track!

I still don't know what to major in!

Some students are still undecided at the end of their first year at Scranton.  While delaying a declaration of major may increase the likelihood that you will need to do some summer or intersession courses to catch up when you do decide, it's not the end of the world.  Your advisor will change your major to Exploratory and will discuss your options.  Choose courses from the majors in which you are interested.  It might be helpful to visit career services to take an interest assessment or to set up a job shadow.  Talk to your advisor about proactive strategies to help you decide on a major.

As always, if you have any questions, let us know!  We are here to help!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu


 

Welcome Back, Freshmen!

Welcome back to Scranton!  We hope that you had a safe, happy and productive break and that you are as excited to return to class as we are to have you back on campus!

Here are some things to consider as you begin the Spring 2013 semester:

• You can still change your schedule! As you begin the semester, we hope that you are enjoying everything for which you are registered, but sometimes it is necessary to make changes to your schedule.  You have until Tuesday, February 5 to add courses to your schedule or to change sections.  You can change your schedule on your own with your registration PIN or you can contact the advising center for a little help.  After that date, you can still drop a course but you will be unable to add a course or change a section.  Click here for other important dates!

• Know that your rooms or professors might have changed.  The location of your class or the professor teaching it is subject to change until classes begin.  If you haven't checked it in a while, you should print off a new copy of your schedule.

• This is the semester to claim your spot on the Dean's List!  Now that you have adjusted to college life and have one semester at Scranton, you know what to expect.  Take some time to consider how things went last semester.  Are you content with what you learned or how you achieved?  Do you feel that you could improve....procrastinate less, study more hours, go out a little less or utilize tutors and the writing center?  Start those good habits early for a successful semester and let us know if you would like some help identifying ways to improve!

We are here to help and advise, as always!  Best of luck on your first day back!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Spring and Intersession Registration

Freshman Registration begins today, Friday, November 30 at 3PM.  By now, you should have met with an advisor in the CAS Advising Center to ask questions, review your schedule and receive your term PIN.  When your PIN becomes activated, you will follow these instructions to register for your spring and intersession courses. Wondering what to do if you have problems? 

Common Spring/Intersession Registration Woes

• The Course I wanted is closed!  Can I be written in?  Ordinarily, it is not possible to be written into a closed course, even with the professor’s permission.  However, the CAS Advisors maintain a wish list.  If the course you truly want is closed, stay calm!  Register for the next best thing and then send one of us an email with your R# and the name and CRN of the course you are trying to get into.  Course enrollment fluctuates after final grades come out as people change their minds or determine that they can no longer take the courses they have planned.  If you are on the wish list, both you and your advisor can check during the summer for openings.  Additionally, getting your name on the wish list is beneficial because, if there are a lot of people waiting for a course, departments will occasionally open new sections but we need to know that you are waiting for a seat!

·         The computer says “cross registration only”!  What does that mean?  For some science courses such as BIOL 141/142, BIOL 110/111, CHEM 112/113, CHEM 232/233 and their corresponding labs, as well as for the WRTG 105/106 sequence, you are required to register for the same section of the course as you were registered for in the fall semester.  If you wish to make a change to your section, you may do so on Monday, December 3. 

• The course I wanted says “major restriction” but I am declaring that major! Many courses are restricted to specific majors.  If you are currently in the process of declaring a major and are unable to register for an open section of a course for that major, call the CAS Advising Center immediately!  We can add you to the course!  In contacting us please remember:

1.  Call us--don't try to come in!!  By the time you make it in to see us and we get off the phone with students who are calling for help, all of your classes might close!  It's always best to call!!

 2.  Completely sign out of your myscranton account!  Only one person can be logged into your registration at a time!  If you are logged in, we can't help you!  It can take a long time for the computer to log you out and the longer it takes, the less likely it is you'll get the classes you want!

3.  Be prepared!  Have your R# and the CRN of the course(s) you want on hand so we can help you faster!

• The course I want is “reserve closed”!  What does that mean?  Many courses reserve a certain number of seats for students in particular majors.  Once the non-reserved seats are taken, students who are not in those majors are not able to register for the class.  Reserves come off on December 3.  Email your advisor to tell them you didn’t get a seat.  If the course is open when the reserve is removed, your advisor can add you to the course. 

•   My Account is On Hold!! Login to your myscranton account to make sure you are not on hold before registration begins.  When you have a hold on your account, neither you nor your academic advisor will be able to register you for the classes.  Most holds are financial.  You will need to talk to the Bursar’s Office to resolve the problem.  They are located in St. Thomas Hall room 201 and you can call them at 570-941-4062.

• I never came in for registration!  If you haven't kept an initial advising appointment for fall preregistration, and you are not currently scheduled for an appointment, the CAS Advisors will not be able to help you until Monday, November 30.  We are solidly booked up until registration now.  Until you have your initial appointment, you can't get your PIN and therefore can't register or be registered for fall classes.  If you call during registration, we can't help you! We open at 8:30am...be here as early as possible to improve your chances of getting into the courses you want!

Other things to chew on...

• Your PIN becomes activated today but it stays activated until the end of the first week of the spring semester.  There is a lot of time for courses to open up!  Be patient and don't panic!

• When you completed your preregistration, you and your advisor both signed off on the schedule you planned.  Your advisor certified that the courses you chose were consistent with your academic goals and would help you progress toward timely graduation in your major.  If you make changes to your schedule besides switching sections or adding a PHED course, you should check in with your advisor to make sure you will still be on track!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Pre-Registration Time

While you may be just getting into the swing of life and academics at Scranton, it's already time to select your courses for the Spring 2013 semester!  We know that this can be a stressful task the first time around but we are here to help you along the way!  This post will tell you everything you need to know to successfully register for classes!

You have an appointment already scheduled with an advisor!!

You will be meeting with an advisor either in October or the beginning of November to get your course schedule approve, retrieve your PIN and discuss any concerns you may have.  An appointment has already been made for you!  If you haven't done so, go to the CAS Advising Center on the 3rd floor of 600 Linden Street to pick up your appointment materials!!

Before your appointment—Completely fill out your course Registration Form. 

You should fill out your form to the best of your ability before your appointment.  To do so you will:

• Fill out the Semester Questionnaire in your appointment letter envelope.

• Review the online catalog (www.scranton.edu/catalog) to determine what major and cognate courses are required for your major for the spring semester.

•  Review your CAPP to determine your progress in completing required general education courses.  Decide which ones you would like to complete in the fall.

• Use the purple sheet to guide you in accessing the online course search.  Look up the courses you plan to take.  Choose the specific sections for which you intend to register.

•  Put all course information on the Course Registration Form.  Don’t forget to record all the CRNs and days and times for each course. (see example)

On the day of your appointment—arrive on time for your appointment. 

         Bring your completed Semester Planning Guide and your completed Course Registration Form.  At this appointment, you will discuss your intended schedule with an academic adviser.  Once your advisor approves your schedule, he or she will give you a registration  term PIN.

   

     Friday, November 16—use your PIN to go online and register for your courses for the spring 2013 semester. 

     Your PIN will become active between 3 and 4:45pm.  Once it becomes active, you can go online to register for the classes your adviser approved.  You can follow the instructions here or follow the link to this video which explains how to register using your term PIN.  Your PIN stays active until the end of the first week of class in the Fall 2012 semester. 

     Call us for help!

     If you experience difficulty in registering, call the CAS Academic Advising Center (570-941-6323)!

 

 

Academic Success Strategies

Now that you are several weeks into the semester, you probably have a better feel for things.  You've gotten to know your roommate, found all of your classes and are finally becoming accustomed to showering in flip flops.  But how confident do you feel academically?  Your first few tests are rapidly approaching so its time to talk about hitting the books!

How much should I be studying?

The general recommendation is that a college student should be hitting the books 2-3 hours a week for every hour spent in class.  That means, if you are carrying 15 credits, you should be spending 30-45 hours a week on work outside the classroom!  This time doesn't only need to be spent in studying.  It can also be reading before class, reviewing lecture notes, writing papers and working on projects.  The important part is that you put the time in!  For many students at the University of Scranton, this recommendation feels unrealistic at first.  A lot of freshmen never truly had to study in high school.  However, college tests WILL BE DIFFERENT!  It's better to invest too much time during the first couple weeks and realize that you can afford to study less than it is to put in a minimal effort and have to spend the rest of the semester trying to improve your grades.


How do I find the time?

Time management can be difficult your first semester.  It's hard to juggle all of your responsibilities and also spend 30-45 hours a week on work.  You must realize that what makes your time so valuable is that you have a very finite amount of it.  Recognize this value and invest it wisely.  There are a number of approaches that students find helpful:

• Buy a Planner!  (or a large calendar)  If you haven't bought a planner yet, the time is now.  It's not realistic to think you can maintain your schedule in your head.  Once you have a planner, sit down with all your syllabi and record the dates for all major assignments and quizzes.  If you can't afford a planner, you can always print out a free calendar at places like this website!  

• Make a Fixed Commitment Calendar!  On a fixed commitment calendar you plan for all of your fixed, or unchanging commitments such as the time you spend at work, in class or watching your favorite TV show.  Next you will plan out all of your meal times and study times as well as your recreation. Hang it somewhere visible so you can make more informed decisions regarding the way you use your time.

• Plan for Large Assignments in Advance!  When you record all of your assignments in a planner or on a calendar, you will be able to determine if you have particularly hectic times ahead this semester.  Plan ahead for weeks with multiple tests.  Also, break down large assignments into smaller components with mini due dates to minimize procrastination.  There are a number of websites available to help you do just that if you aren't sure how to start on your own.  Here is just one example!

How do I study smarter not harder?

Location, Location, Location--where you study can be just as important as how much!  Find an area as clear of distractions as possible.  Your room is usually not a very good choice--there are too many temptations--the TV, friends across the hall, video games and your computer.  Also, planning to study on your bed is akin to planning a nap.  Remove yourself from most distractions either by going to the library or a study area in one of the buildings on campus.  You will finish your work faster and will be able to enjoy those other things guilt free.

Take Breaks--research shows that the average person can only concentrate fully for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time.  Try to avoid committing to a three hour cram session.  Set a timer for yourself and try to get up and take a short walk or move around a little at least once every 45 minutes to optimize your focus.  

Read and Review!  If your professor has listed chapters for reading, make sure you are reading them prior to class.  This will help you understand the lecture better and it will enable you to ask questions and be more actively involved in class.  The expectation is typically not that you will understand everything you read before class.  As soon after class as possible, it is wise to review your course notes.  Consider adopting a note taking system such as Cornell to optimize your interaction with your course notes.   

What about PowerPoints?   If your professor uses PowerPoints for notes, print them out and bring them to class to make additional notes.  


What if I'm struggling?
If you are struggling, don't try to go it alone.  There are a number of resources at the University of Scranton that can help ensure your success.  If you are struggling consider all of these options:

• Talk to your instructor.  He or she is accustomed to answering questions about the material and will be able to help you decide how to focus your efforts.  If you are performing poorly but seeking help, that is generally regarded more favorably than if you are struggling and doing nothing about it.

• Talk to your advisor!  We can help you discuss options and plan your next step!

• Seek a tutor.  You don't have to wait until you are experiencing academic difficulty to seek a tutor.  Do it at the first sign of a problem.  The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence offers one on one tutors as well as group tutoring opportunities.  Go here for more more information.  

Finding out More
If you want to discuss any of these concepts in greater detail, come to the Advising Center today! 

Katherine Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu