On Monday, I got to experience paying for part of college on-line with an e-check. No standing in line or wasting postage or paper.
Sean also went to academic advising and came back a little concerned that he was going to be "stuck" with a major--choosing a major certainly can seem a bit intimidating when you think it will lock you into the rest of your life. Here is an excerpt of my email response:
First of all, relax! You do not have to decide on a major this semester, or even next semester. I switched my major twice my freshman year. I started as a Chemical Engineering major, after the first semester I switched to English and then at the end of the second semester I switched to civil engineering.
The only challenge in not knowing what you want to do is that if you end up wanting to major in a highly technical field (Engineering, Math, a specific science, Nursing, Aviation, etc), you may delay graduation if you don't take some of the prerequisite classes your freshman year (for example, an engineering major would be taking Calculus this semester, usually).
However, for most majors, what you do your first year is not a problem, as long as you work on your general requirements. I think what you have decided to do this first semester is an excellent choice, doing the Integrated Studies Program with a psychology class. The integrated studies program will apply to both your general requirements and to honors classes. The psychology class will let you explore psychology a bit. I would suggest that you do the Integrated Studies Program next semester as well, and also take a class in another area of interest (or another psychology class).
Tonight I spoke with Sean and when I asked him about his classes, he said he was about half an hour late for the first one, because he overslept. Argh! That was one of my biggest concerns--sleeping through classes! Then we had a frustrating conversation for both of us as I tried to get him to tell me what the classes are he was taking and what his schedule is--unfortunately, he is still confused on those points. Double Argh! I know he is taking a psychology class and 4 classes in the Integrated Studies Program--composition, Science, Humanities and something else--maybe the confusion is because they are "integrated."
I ended up just trying to confirm that he knew where he was supposed to go tomorrow and if he was confused about what to do or where to go, he should ask for help!
Take a deep breath--exhale. It will all work out (I hope!)
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At Bethel there is a student web page which the students can access with information about the classes they are registered for and also with their grades on tests and assignments and end of the semester grades. This is also the way the students register for their classes etc... It took me awhile to figure this out - wish I had known about it Caleb's freshman year.
Because we are helping pay for college we require our kids to give us their passwords and website information so we can see their transcripts and also their financial bills etc...
It really helps me feel like I know what they are taking and how they are doing.
We tell them they can have all the privacy they want if they pay their own way completely. If we are paying for anything we expect to know the details of what they are doing with the money.
Teri
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