Welcome to the next stage of your life, university: the school route. Nova Southeastern University provides many resources to help you get through your undergraduate career. I feel it is my responsibility as an upperclassman to give you advice as well as some tips on how to take advantage of those resources.
First and foremost, the biggest thing you always have to remember when entering college, especially full time, is that “school comes first.” You’re paying for these classes so if you fail a class, you’re not only wasting time but tons of money.
NSU provides resources that give you the opportunity to keep your academic life thriving. The Academic Advising office is your best bet for getting professional answers about your degree requirements and your degree progress. If you can’t get in touch with your personal academic advisor, the office holds walk-in sessions during the week where you can meet with any of their other advisors.
The Tutoring and Testing Center is great for getting help when studying. They offer supplemental learning assistance and testing services that can help you get ahead. They are especially helpful for your general education classes. We also have the Writing and Communication Center. Their staff and peer writing consultants help you with anything from huge research papers to simple reflection assignments.
Whatever you do, pace yourself. The minimum number of credits you can take to be considered a fulltime student is twelve. The maximum a student can take is eighteen. If those eighteen credits are split amongst three credit courses, the average weight courses hold, that comes out to 6 classes. In high school, you might’ve taken eight classes at a time and it was no sweat. This is different. Four classes can be overwhelming depending on their difficulty level and workload, let alone six. You will want to take your time and find your groove in regards to what feels comfortable for you.
A big question we all come across regarding courses is whether or not you should complete your general education requirements first. For your science and social science classes it really depends on your major, but I think everyone should get their English and math classes out of the way as soon as possible. Your COMP 1500 and COMP 2000 classes are required for most 2000 and 3000 level classes so getting those done first will be a great help. Much like how oranges did Scurvy, the secret cure to your math classes is taking them online. It may sound difficult, but just trust me.
My final words of advice come from a place of sincerity. University is a great and transformative time for most. We might make friends for a semester, hopefully for life, we make memories and we continue to grow. We get so wrapped up in the box we created for ourselves we forget the most important thing: that college is a career path. We aren’t here to hang out. If you don’t know what you want to do, you have time. If you know academia plays a role in your life, stay and find your way. However, if you find yourself going to college to fulfill some societal norm, don’t. Take your time and find what you like. You are here to start the path towards your career. The best resource for that is the Center for Academic and Professional Success. My career advisor was instrumental in helping me figure out a great way to build a proper resume. Remain serious about your work and four years down the road you will be patting yourself on the back.
Now go make a living and make some memories. Have fun, get that work in and take your new path in stride. Don’t stress yourself out but stay determined. Most of all find yourself; find your group and take charge.
