Drop-In Hours | Online Classes

Drop-In Hours

Drop-in hours, also known as office hours, are times when you can drop-by the office without a scheduled appointment. Students are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check-in at the front desk of Career & Academic Planning (3210 Student Success Center) during the following drop-in hours if you want to meet to talk about registration (or anything else!):

Monday (11/3): 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday (11/4): 1:30 - 3 p.m.

Online Classes

When you register for courses, you’ll probably see courses that are taught in an online environment or a hybrid environment (half in-class, half online).  The Breeze had a great article titled JMU offers more than 450 classes online, which provided student and faculty perspectives of online courses.

JMU provides a self-assessment tool to help you with their deciding whether to register for an online or hybrid course. Upon completion of the Student Readiness Self-Assessment, your scores along with recommendations will be displayed.

IS 202

Class sections and times for IS 202: Career & Life Planning are posted on MyMadison! During our registration preparation meetings, many of you planned on registering for IS 202 for spring semester. If open sections do not fit with your schedule, complete the IS 202 Override Request Form. Even if none of the sections (closed or open) fit with your schedule, please complete this form. There’s an option that “none of the sections fit with my schedule.” If we receive enough of a demand, we may open additional sections. If you need a refresher or you’re wondering what IS 202 is... watch this IS 202 video highlighting students and instructors:

Making It After Midterms

So midterms have come and gone. (If you haven't checked your midterm grades yet, check out the post from October 10). Whether you're calling home boasting about how well you’re doing or crying your eyes out at the thought of failing out of a course, congratulations on making it through a very busy and stressful time in the semester!

There are many ways to overcome a midterm crisis. Some of the most important tips include talking to your professor (and your advisor!) visiting the Learning Centers, and re-evaluating your study habits. But what if that’s not enough? Here are a few other tips to help you make it after midterms.

Make Healthy Choices and Add in Study Spurts

Balancing your social life and academic life is one of the hardest parts of the transition to college. As hard as it may be, you may have to decline offers to hang out with friends in order to focus a bit more on studying if you want to pull yourself out of the hole. And, just cutting out the social time does not always mean you are going to have any more time to study on your hands. We know your schedule is packed full and that it can be difficult to find more opportunities to study. That’s why you’re going to have to get creative. Review notes on the elliptical at UREC. Make flashcards that you can read through on your walk between classes or while you're riding the bus. You’ll retain more information from these study spurts than you think, which will make the process much easier when you sit down for a longer study session.

Make Friends and Use a Study Group

You know that student in your class that never puts his pencil down? Or that student who is always speaking up or asking questions? These are the type of students you want to consider getting to know. Perhaps you are struggling because your notes are sub par or maybe you could benefit from a study group. Note: no one will want to work with you if you don’t show up to class. The key is to show others how hard you work so you can work together to stay motivated. (Take a look at the post from September 12 for other study tips and great resources to get you back on your feet).

Show A Little Love

Yes, the majority of students tend to go under the radar (and may like living there). Maybe you don't want to be singled out in class, or are intimidated by your professor. But, now is the time to establish new habits and get a little more involved in your learning. If you have been more passive and not as engaged in your class, now is a great time to turn it around and have your professor know you for being the student who cares about her grade and is trying to make an effort. Show up early to class to clarify any questions you had from the last lecture. And participate! Professors will assume you are happy with the grade you've earned unless you give them a reason to know otherwise. Take the time now to get to know your professors so you can work together to help you make it after midterms. (Not sure how to get the conversation started? Check out the post from October 14).

Registration 101

Take a breath. If you’ve scheduled a registration preparation meeting with your advisor, you’re going to be prepared to do this! You can successfully do this!

While you can see courses that are being offered for spring semester, that doesn’t mean you should begin looking at them more than 24 hours prior to your registration window opening. Students with more priority than you, like seniors, will be taking seats in courses, and you have no control over the situation as everything is constantly changing. You have no idea what will still remain open when your registration window opens. You will get classes, though, and you’re going to get classes that work towards your graduation requirements.

Before You Register

Besides scheduling and meeting with your advisor, here are the productive things to do for registration:

1. Clear holds placed on your registration ability.

If you look in your Student Center on MyMadison and see "No Enrollment Activity" or "Withhold All Services", then you will not be able to register for classes until you take care of the hold. Click "details" and then "No Enrollment Activity" to learn who has placed the hold on you and how you contact them to learn what you need to do to get the hold lifted. Some of you may have more than one hold.

2. Look for your registration date and time on MyMadison.

It will be in the right-hand column within your Student Center. You need to click on "details" to see exactly what time your window opens. The time your window opens is not assigned while looking at your course schedule; therefore, you may be in class when your window opens. It's alright! Just get to a computer with internet access as soon as you can after class to register on MyMadison.

3. Preference General Education (GenEd) Cluster requirements you still need to fulfill.

You don't want to be making decisions about which classes you prefer when you're in the middle of registering. For example, if you still need to complete a Cluster IV - American Experience, then preference which class in Cluster IV - American Experience you would want to take first, then second, and third. This will make registration much easier to balance your course preferences with the availability of classes and fit with your schedule.

4. View MyMadison Video Tutorials.

You’ll register for classes by yourself on MyMadison. Information Systems provides a support page with videos about how to add, drop, and swap a class on MyMadison. Watch these before your registration window opens and review them as much as you need. Below, I’ve embedded some of these videos with extra tips for your convenience:

Adding Classes

Here are some common error messages you can get when trying to add a class:

You cannot add this class due to a time conflict.

This means that you have another course you're registered for that conflicts with the time of the class you're trying to add.

Class #### is full.

This means there are no more available seats in this section.

Requisites not met.

This can mean that (1) you must be declared in a certain major to take this course, (2) you must be a certain class standing (i.e. sophomore), (3) there is a co-requisite you need to enroll in simultaneously with the Shopping Cart feature [watch next video], or (4) there is a pre-requisite that you have not completed.

To view restrictions placed on a specific section, click "View Details" and read the "Enrollment Requirements" and "Class Notes" sections. The example shown tells you that this section of CHEM 131 is only for the specific academic programs listed and CHEM 131L is a co-requisite. You’ll notice, “View Details” also shows you: how many students can enroll in a class (a.k.a. class capacity), how many students are enrolled (a.k.a. enrollment total), and how many seats are still available, a course description, and the number of credit hours (a.k.a. units).

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Utilizing the Shopping Cart

Understanding the "Shopping Cart" is extremely important when you're registering for classes that are co-requisistes, like the CHEM 131 and CHEM 131L example above.

Swapping Classes

Now, you can swap any course for any other course - not just the same course for a different class section. Swapping courses doesn't drop you out of a class unless you're guaranteed to add the other class.

Search for All Courses Open within a GenEd Requirement

You can find all of the Cluster Codes on your GenEd Checklist and online.

When You Register

Here’s a list of items to have in front of you:

1. Advising notes we completed during our individual registration preparation meeting.

2. General Education Checklist and Preferences, which will make it easier to pick the best course option for you within a GenEd requirement that you can take any of the courses.

3. Daily Schedule Planner so that you can keep track of classes that you've scheduled so that you don't try to add a class when you have another one. Don't forget to keep track of what building your classes are in so that you can determine if you can make the commute from one class to the next if courses are close together. Remember to balance the days and times of your schedule as best you can!

4. Campus Map so you can find where buildings are on campus to determine if you can make it to your classes on time. You can view and print the campus map online. You can utilize the Can I Get There on Time? developed by the Madison Advising Peers.

Homecoming | Healthy Choices

Homecoming 

Monday, October 27 marks the beginning of JMU Homecoming 2014! From October 27 – November 2, the JMU community is celebrating over 100 years of alumni with a ton of spirited events, program, and activities for students and alums. Show your purple pride and JMU spirit by attending events like Purple Out, Pep Rally, Homecoming sporting events, and so much more!

Purple Out – For the past 10 years, the Student Government Association has sponsored an event during Homecoming to provide FREE Purple Out tshirts (I Bleed Purple) to JMU students to wear at the Homecoming football game. Purple Out will take place on Monday, October 27 from 5-7 p.m. on the Festival Lawn. Students must register for a shirt.

UREC 5k – Kick off gameday with a healthy 5k run/walk through campus, with proceeds benefitting the UREC student employee professional development fund. The race takes place on Saturday, November 1 at 8 a.m., leaving from UREC. Visit the UREC website for race details and registration information.

Football Game – Get your ticket for the game against the William and Mary on Saturday, November 1 at 3:30 p.m. in Bridgeforth Stadium. Wear your Purple Out shirt and get ready to throw some streamers!

Annual Homecoming Step Show – Following the football game, head over to Wilson Hall Auditorium for the annual Homecoming Step Show at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Student Services (CMSS) and the Inter-Cultural Greek Council. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10. Tickets are $15 at the door, but availability is not guaranteed.

Making Healthy Choices 

With Homecoming and Halloween celebrations and festivities right around corner, it’s important to remember to make healthy choices regarding alcohol and drugs. Wellness is about increasing healthy habits and reducing negative ones. Many people say they use alcohol and other drugs to “feel good.” Making healthy choices means learning to understand what feels good for us, and avoiding the unhealthy things we don’t want. If your choices include drinking alcohol, think about drinking safely and plan ahead to avoid any negative consequences. The University Health Center’s Office on Substance Abuse Prevention is a great resource to help you learn how to make healthy choices and find resources that may be beneficial in your overall wellness.

Withdraw Deadline | Registration

Withdrawal Deadline

There are two reasons you may want to withdraw from a class: (1) lightening your course load will help you feel more balanced due to personal, life reasons or (2) you’re not doing well in a course at midterms. Either way, you want to take a moment and consider if you should withdraw from the course before the withdraw deadline for semester classes on Thursday, October 23. 

Withdrawing from the course means that it will not impact your GPA, and it may help you to focus and do well in your other courses. Here are other points about withdrawing:

• Full-Time Status. 12 credit hours is the magic number to stay full-time. If you drop below part-time, there are extra considerations, like how it might affect your health insurance, financial aid, car insurance, and scholarships.
• Your Transcript. You will have a W on your transcript. Generally, having a W or two on your college transcript is alright. However, when you have multiple W’s, it can show a pattern of how you problem-solve that is not appealing to an employer or graduate schools.
• 4-Year Plan. Keep in mind that you must take an average of 15 credits each semester to graduate in a 4-year plan without summer coursework. So, if you complete lower than the average of 15, then you’ll need to make-up the average somewhere - taking 16 credits for a couple of semesters or taking a summer course.  It is doable, though!
• Financial Aid. If you receive Financial Aid, be sure you are aware of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and how this can affect you; because a W is like an F for SAP.
• International Student Visa. If you are an international student on an F-1 Visa, remember that in order to keep your I-20 active and keep the benefits of your F-1 visa, you must be registered as a full-time student (at least 12 credits). If you’re thinking about withdrawing from a class and it would result in you dropping below 12 credits, it may be possible for you to receive permission to do this. There are specific and limited reasons why a student may receive a reduced course load authorization, including medical problems, academic difficulties related to English language acquisition, or the adjustment to studying in a US classroom. Check out the Office of International Program’s website for more information on Maintaining Student Status. If you have any questions about whether or not you would be eligible for reduced course load authorization, contact International Student and Scholar Services in oIP.

Registration Window

On or around Monday, October 20, you will be able to go onto MyMadison and view the specific date and time your registration window opens. You’ll also be able to see what courses will be offered in spring semester. However, remember that you are “low on the totem pole,” which means your seniority is low (as a freshmen) compared to others at the university (like seniors). You’ll move up the totem pole eventually, but right now there are a lot of students ahead of you that will have more priority during registration. Do not spend time picking the specific times and professors you want for classes, because they will likely be gone by the time your window opens. You can prepare during your meeting with your advisor for the types of classes you should be looking for when you register, but don’t plan too much detail about specific sections, professors, or times. You have no control over what’s available by the time your window opens. We’ll talk about this more during our individual registration meeting.

Appointment with Your Advisor

As mentioned in previous posts, in emails, and on your advising syllabus, individual meetings have started (based on your last name) to prepare you for registration. If you haven’t already, email me your availability if your assigned week is during October 20 - 24 or October 27- 31. When you come to the meeting, you will want to bring the items mentioned in your syllabus.

Talking with Professors | Roommate Conflict

Tips for Talking to Professors

Talking to a professor–out of genuine curiosity, a genuine interest in learning, a genuine desire to improve–is one of the smartest things a college student can do. Few students make it through college without seeking assistance from a professor for help at one time or another. In fact, it’s important to seek help rather than let questions or problems fester and intensify.

Professors want you to see them as a resource. They hold office hours for a reason, yet many students avoid these unless required to attend. Remember, unless you let your professors know otherwise, they assume you’re doing fine in the class (or you’re at least ok with how you’re doing). They can’t help if you don’t ask or seek them out!

So, how do you approach professors for one-on-one time?

1. Be respectful and mannerly. Call them by right title.
Before asking “What are your office hours?”, check your syllabus. If hours aren’t listed or won’t work, ask your professor when he or she can meet with you. A reasonable professor will understand that office hours cannot accommodate every student’s schedule. When you arrive, knock on the door, even if it’s open, and greet your professor by name. Most professors let you know what they want to be called.  When in doubt, go with “Dr. [last name].”

2. Be prepared – professors are not mind readers.
Unless you’re just stopping by to chat (which is fine, by the way), have your questions prepared in advance.  You need to be able to clearly articulate what it is you need help with.  Besides, planning your agenda in advance helps ensure you don’t forget what you came there to do.  Also, be sure to bring any necessary materials with you.

If you are having difficulty in a course, let your professor know that you realize it, and ask what you can do to improve. If you want to talk to a professor about something during office hours or via email–about a question that you didn’t get to ask in class or an idea that you want to discuss–just do the best you can. Your professor will very likely meet your genuine interest with kindness and encouragement.

3. Your professor is not Harry Potter.
Don’t ask the impossible of your professors. They are here to help you, but they are also restricted by course and departmental policies. Whatever your circumstances, professors have to hold you to the same standards and workload as the rest of the class. So go ahead and inquire about make-up work, extra credit, and other opportunities, but be prepared to do the work, and don’t expect easy outs. Brace yourself for disappointment, and if your professor says “no,” be prepared with a Plan B option and perspective. Also, if the conversation doesn’t go as planned, remember that I’m available to meet with you to discuss alternative resources and options.

4. Don’t wait. At the end, it’s too late.
You will not get far by approaching your professor at the end of the semester and declaring that you will lose your scholarship, get dismissed from school, etc., if you don’t receive a certain grade in the class. As you see signs of falling short of certain requirements as a JMU student, member of an organization, or scholarship recipient, meet with your professors. They most certainly agree that your grade is important, but in the end they cannot be held responsible for your earned grade or personal circumstances.

With midterms grades being posted soon, it’s a great time to assess your performance and see if a chat with your professor is something to consider.

Final thoughts – If you know you’re going to miss class, try to let your professors know ahead of time. If you’re sick, contact them. If you need an extension, ask before the due date, not after.

Tips for a Good Roommate Relationship

Is your roommate driving you crazy? Has the honeymoon worn off? Don’t sweep the problems under the rug and think they will get better. Take a look at a blog post from the summer  for some tips on how to get your relationship on the right track. If you need more information or help, your Resident Advisor is a great place to start. He/she can help draft a roommate agreement, mediate a dispute or conflict, find alternative solutions, and so on.

Mid-Semester Grades | IS 202

Mid-Semester Grades

On Thursday, October 16 at 5 p.m., you can review your midterm grades on MyMadison.
1. In the Student Center, select Grades from the drop-down menu.

2. Move the radius to the term you want to see your grades.

3. Select the “Midterm Grades” tab.

Your midterm grades are only submitted if the faculty submits the grades to the Registrar, and it might not include all of the assignments that you have to this point.  It might also not include a curve that the professor may give in the class or grading strategies, like “I will drop the lowest test score.”

If you are earning a D or F in any course, email your advisor your availability to schedule a meeting. You may want to consider withdrawing from the course so that it will not impact your GPA and hinder your ability to maintain focus and do well in your other courses. While withdrawing from a course does not impact your GPA, it may potentially impact your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid - including grants, scholarships, and student loans.

The withdraw deadline is Thursday, October 23 at 11:59 p.m. Remember, if you attempt to withdraw from a class after 5 p.m. on October 23, all offices will be closed and nobody will be able to help you if you run into challenges; therefore, it's a good idea to withdraw before 5 p.m.

IS 202 and 2nd Block Courses

Many of you are registered for IS 202: Career & Life Planning as a 2nd Block course. All 2nd Block courses start this Monday, October 13! If you are registered for IS 202 and no longer want to take the course, please email me and drop the course on MyMadison as soon as possible so that other students can get a seat. If you aren’t registered for the course, take a minute to consider registering by listening to other Dukes:

University Recreation

Motivating Madison into Motion

University Recreation (UREC) promotes and advances healthy lifestyles through participation opportunities, educational experiences and supportive services. Your valid JACard is required to enter UREC and University Park.

Now is a great time to start (or continue) some good habits related to your health and wellness! And, with midterms right around the corner, don’t neglect your fitness as an awesome stress reliever. Vigorous physical activity can help you burn off your stress by giving you something else to focus on and relieving tension in your muscles. Endorphins are real: they make you feel better!

In addition to the great fitness center and facilities, UREC offers many programs, services, and events for all students at all ability and interest levels. Take advantage of these amazing opportunities and services, including Intramural Sports, Sport Clubs, Group Fitness, Adventure Trips, Equipment Rental, Nutrition, Massage, and more!

And, this year JMU is one of a handful of schools nationwide participating in the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge, sponsored by North Face. Check out this Breeze article to learn more about how you can help JMU win and you can win great prizes!

Find Your Place at UREC

Learn more about all the educational programs and events on the UREC homepage. Registration dates and costs vary by program, but most are FREE!  (UREC offers online registration for Intramural  Sports, Group Fitness and all non-fee based programs. In-person registration for fee-based programs is available at UREC using FLEX).

Prepare for Registration | Major & Career Exploration

Prepare for Registration

Remember, individual meetings start next week (based on your last name) to prepare you for registration! Email me your availability for your assigned week, as listed on the advising syllabus, as soon as possible.

When you come to the meeting, you will want to bring the items mentioned in your advising syllabus.To bring a written list of majors you have considered, as indicated, you will want to take some time to explore majors offered at JMU. This is because during our individual meeting, one of the things we will discuss is if there are any majors and/or careers you’re currently considering. There are tools you can utilize from the comfort of your room to help you explore your options. This brings us to our next...

Spotlight on Exploring Resources

Explore JMU Majors

To review all of the majors we offer at JMU, the Career Guide to JMU Majors can provide you a (1) detailed description of the major, (2) the broad field of study and specializations in the field, and (3) career options and potential employers for graduates with this academic program. If you’re interested in learning about admissions and progression requirements for majors, checkout the Major Snapshots. If you want to know what courses you would need to talk for a certain major, checkout the Undergraduate Catalog. Utilize these three resources to get a fuller picture of majors you can choose at JMU.

Write down your thoughts and questions about majors and career
to bring to meetings with your advisor!

Explore Careers

When you are looking at the Career Guide to JMU Majors, and you see a career that you don’t know what it is, utilize OOH and O*Net to learn more about careers. On OOH, you can search for descriptions of careers to identify necessary training and education, earnings, job prospects, work tasks, and work conditions. On O*Net, you can search for careers that fit with you personal characteristics, such as interests, values, and skills.

As with any of the topics posted on the blog, don't hesitate to contact me as you have questions and/or if you'd like to talk through your research!